The Spy and the Hitokiri
by Shadowed Secretz
Summary: Who's the spy? Can we honestly say that we know all about the RK characters? Author of this story is Adamant Eve aka anna-neko.
1. Prolouge

First Authors Note

Hi guys! Before anything else I would like to point out that this is not my story! I have had no part in the writing of this incredible story. I don't know the authors name, and I don't know how old it is, BUT I do know that I found it on a site named rkdreams which is now unavailable. But luckily for me I downloaded it to my computer.

And the reason I am posting this is because it is just too good to not be posted. It is my absolute favorite story, and I hope some of you will find the same pleasure reading this story that I did. And from this point on, EVERYTHING is copy/pasted from the original site, even the future author notes are not mine, but I want to include them for the sake of whoever wrote them originally. I will try to upload at least once a week. There is nothing better in this world than an author with regular updates and complete stories(though sadly I am not one of them)! Bless them!

So, here goes, enjoy!

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><p>Author Note:<p>

I'm going to be breaking a lot of rules, so those who are sticklers for the conventional, please, for your sakes and mine, do not go on. The contents of this fic will be serious and is meant to get the noggin' going. If, while reading this fic, you get a sudden urge to laugh…ehehe, it would have been intentional on my part, but then, this isn't supposed to be a comedy. Not my usual stuff, but change ought to be a good thing, ne? Major OOCiness here for a particular character. It is INCREDIBLY essential to the story, so this ought to be a fair warning.

I would just like to say that although I will be mentioning a lot of people who actually existed in Meiji Japan, my account of their lives and personalities are all fictional, except for what I say is true and actual in my closing Author's Notes. Please, no one sue me for libel.

Now…let's get it on!

**Prologue**

**THE SPY**

I frowned at the tacked-on article on the newspaper I held.

Great…just great! Yasushige bought the farm, like Miyori and Taka did.

In case you haven't figured it out, I'm not exactly talking about purchasing real estate here. I'm talking about biting the dust; throwing in the towel; getting on the one-way express…

Okay, I'll say it plainly! Anenokoji Yasushige is dead.

Apparently, somebody had broken into his house in Tango. A robber, they said. The article reports that all things indicate he had caught them stealing his things. A struggle ensued and he, along with his wife, was killed trying to preserve his property. "Anenokoji, a Japanese family known to be strong supporters of the restoration, were apparently not immune to the evils of society," said a line in the article.

Shit.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I should have known someone was trying to kill all of us off one by one. I should have known it when they got Taka. Granted, Miyori's and Taka's deaths were a considerable length apart, like a year apart, but I still should have known. And now with Yasushige, his murder being only three months from Taka's…

Nagakura Miyori had died of a disease. That much information I gathered from the local paper's obituary some time back. I knew she lived somewhere in Edo, but I had no intention of making contact with her before or even after she died. Besides, diseases were supposed to be a fact of life, so I did indeed brush it off as nothing more than a natural passing. Taka's death was more sensational, but not very alarming either. The report of his murder had been tacked on, having occurred somewhere in Yanaizu where several gang-related crimes have been occurring. Still, I insisted that there was no big conspiracy going on.

I suppose too much peace has dulled my instincts, or else distorted my sense of reality.

Damn it! Who could blame me for wanting to live a normal life? I mean, hell! What do they want me to do? Go the rest of my life looking over my shoulder? Besides, I never entertained the thought that they even knew we existed.

The Ishinshishi Shinobi Kei Gaikotsu's best feature was its inherent improbability to exist. As far as most people were concerned, including Ishinshishi members themselves, we were just a rumor: A figment of paranoid imaginations.

I was so sure that our tracks were covered so well. Apparently, I was wrong. Not only did someone know the Ishin-SHIKEIGAI existed, they, whoever they are, know who composed it. Now they've killed three out of the six of us. Feh! I don't even know if Kyosuke and Banshio are still alive as I sit here!

Should have I expected this?

My inward groan answered my own question.

Yes, I should have expected this. The enemy in general had never been stupid, which was why the war was a long and hard battle. I found many proofs of this in great degrees during the Bakumatsu. Especially with those damn Shinsengumi. They were the worse bunch of wily wolves ever to crawl out of the mud.

I remember getting the scare of my life when I had been assigned to infiltrate a particular Shinsengumi platoon.

"Oi! Little boy! What are you doing here?"

I froze, the voice behind me striking lightning into my heart. I had my hand resting on a particularly vital document, and to be caught handling it could mean the end of me.

I cursed silently to myself. I should have known that stepping on that dog-doo this morning was a bad omen. I should have taken it as a warning that this would not be my day.

Sweat broke out of my forehead, but I put on my acting face just before I turned to look at the adult standing in the frame of the door.

"Umm…I was just looking for some paper," I said in my best innocent, pleading voice. "I want to write to my mother. I miss my mother."

The cheeks of the adult, whom I now knew was Okena, platoon messenger, turned red in irritation. "Ikiro, you little brat. I don't need a kid missing his mommy right now. There will be no letters."

I started to cry. An act, of course. I was thankful that he had presented an issue that would provide the perfect distraction. "But…but I want to tell her I'm alright! She hasn't heard from me in months! I miss my mother!" More crying. I can go on like this forever, and they wouldn't really think the worse of me. I was a five-year-old, for goodness sake. Children my age always cried about their mommies.

Okena approached me and grabbed my arm, yanking me with him and out of the room. "Idiot! How can you think of sending letters at a time like this? Something as stupid as that could give away our position. Do you want to get the whole platoon killed?"

"I want my mommy!" I screamed, bawling loudly.

"Shut-up!" Okena shouted sternly, dragging me to my room, which was really just a closet with a ratty futon and a small compartment for my things. "Damn! If you don't quit your squalling, I'll have you deposited to the next town and we'll get another serving boy."

I pretended to simmer down and control my sobbing. "Please…don't. I'll *hiccup* stop. Just…"

"Don't make me beat you, boy," Okena warned, pushing me into my room.

I stumbled clumsily to the floor, giving out a rather genuine howl of pain as my knees bumped on the hard floor.

"You said you wanted to help the Shinsengumi, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes, Okena-sama," I said pitifully.

"Well then quit being the little boy that you are and be useful!" Okena yelled, hands to his waist in disdain. "It's going to be dinner in three hours. Be ready in one for kitchen duty. Tenaga is out so you're the only one who's going to cook for all of us."

Feh! I hated cooking for the platoon. Serves me right for letting them know I can do it so well. I just had to show off, didn't I? Well, it was better than being executed at sunset for sneaking out important information. "Yes, Okena-sama." I said respectfully.

Satisfied with my answer, he turned from the door. "Writing to mommy…the idea!" He muttered before leaving me in my closet.

I gave a sigh of relief and wiped the tears from my cheeks with the sleeve of my gi. That damn Okena just loved to power trip. Picking on a kid like me. If he only knew the women laughed at him…apparently, he was terrible in bed. Two-minute Okena, they called him.

One thing about being a kid is that adults talk in my presence indiscriminately, thinking I couldn't understand. This is mainly the reason why I'm such an effective spy. Five others share my fate. Child spies for the Ishinshishi…

And now three of them are dead.

Somebody screwed up big time.

F it!

I threw the newspaper away from me forcefully in my irritation. The draft caught it and sent it flying back to me. I snatched it from the air before it hit my face and crumpled it wildly in my fists, beating it to a pulp.

"Shit!" I cursed again, thumping the mangled paper to the floor. What a farce! I couldn't believe that all those times I had to stand being with those Shinsengumi bastards, contributing my skills to the cause of the restoration, asking only to be kept a secret once the war was over…I even pretended to be a boy for them for crying out loud-!

"Kaoru-dono?"

I froze.


	2. Chapter 1

A little author note from me before we begin.

It appears that I am the only one unaware that the author of this story is **Adamant Eve aka anna-neko. **So all credit to her! I would also recommend everyone to read her other stories, they are great. Her last post was in 2005, so I am not sure if she is active, but I am trying to get in contact with her and let her know that I am posting her story, and hopefully get her approval. But until then I'll keep posting!

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**THE SPY**

"Kaoru-dono, is there something the matter?" Came the calming voice of the rurouni.

I looked at Kenshin and gave him a tiny smile. It wasn't very hard. Kenshin could always make me smile, mostly because I morbidly found humor in the fact that somebody so cold-blooded before could be so placid at face value. He still has his demons, just like I do...

I have no doubt in my mind that he is sincere in his quest to atone for his sins of the past, and perhaps it is that fact which endears me to him. We are alike in that, at least.

Though he had taken so many lives, the four I had taken myself continue to haunt me. I dare say that our torment is the same. Unlike him, I can't talk about what I had experienced. I'm not allowed to. Besides, what was I supposed to say?

I know exactly how you feel, I've killed a few myself?

I keep it all inside me, making it fester, turning in my head again and again. I'm not likely to go bananas with the vivid images of the four people I've killed, but it sure can be a bitch at night!

"Nothing's really wrong," I told him in a subdued voice. My years in the Shikeigai has taught me to act expertly. Though I only use it now to disguise what I'm really feeling, I often feel guilty that I end up having to lie to some degree. "I'm just upset about the things I read in the paper. Don't they ever write about anything good?"

Kenshin chuckled and approached me, folding to his knees beside me to salvage what was left of the periodical. "Good news isn't as interesting," he said, tilting his head at me in amusement.

I smiled again, this time a bit brighter. "Mou! That's just plain absurd! The best news is good news," I said brightly.

He reached out and brushed a thumb on my cheek affectionately. "Not everyone's like you, Kaoru-dono."

And to that I say: Thank God! Dishonest little witch that I am.

This personality I show them, it's actually quite true. This is Kamiya Kaoru, that is, before the Bakumatsu. Before the war, I played with dolls, dressed up in my mother's clothes, clamored for my father's attention, and demanded to be called a princess. An ordinary girl, really, except for the fact that I read my first hundred page book at the age of four and recited it verbatim by memory right after.

Sometimes, I think that if I had been a real genius, I would have known enough not to show off. But I was a spoiled brat, and boy did I get what I deserve!

I liked what I was before all the blood and suffering. Of course, I did away with the genius bit. I've learned my lesson when it comes to that. I've re-adapted the sweet and sunshiny personality for these times of peace, for my friends and pseudo-family whom I really do love. I honestly don't think they could stand the child-genius that could spew out profanities like a seasoned sailor, drink like a fish, and beat any man to a five-stud Poker game.

Is it really much of a surprise that after the Bakumatsu I was such a changed child? I went through so much. Spying, acting all hours of the day, putting up with the men, perverts or otherwise...at the tender age of ten, I was officially the proverbial Jaded-Bitch.

No way I would show them that side of me. It isn't very hard. Like I said, the way I am now was me before, only...edited.

Admittedly, I've changed a few aspects about me to fit my lifestyle. I have taken to making inedible food. There was no way I would cook for a whole bunch of people again. Maybe not until I have kids, but until then, they could just eat my slop.

Damn that Shinsengumi. I remember contemplating to put poison in their food. Not to kill them really, just to make all of them very sick, but I knew the wolves would know I was responsible for it, or else they'd blame me and beat me, just because someone had to be blamed and beaten for the discomfort.

I like being the cute Kenjutsu instructor. I like it when I pretend to lash out at Yahiko because he had called me one of those absurd names. I like being cheerful one minute then a violent tomboy the next. I like it that Megumi calls me Tanuki-chan when I act like a naïve idiot. And I love it, deep in my heart, that they consider me to be the soul of our little family.

I especially like it that they think I'm in love with the rurouni.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not in love with Kenshin that way. Not yet, at least. Sure, he's handsome, and sweet and he makes certain I have a warm bath every morning, but I've seen too much of men to let me get away with my feelings so easily.

When he left for Kyoto...that was a close one. I did cry, for real. That wasn't acting, and for goodness sake, that depression...now that I think about it, that was pathetic of me. I had convinced myself that I cared for him more than I should. Thank the gods Megumi was there to knock me to my senses. So I followed him to Kyoto to see if I was really in love with him or if it was just a silly infatuation.

It was an infatuation, in that sense. I do care for him, and I was worried that Shishio would be the end of him, but I was also worried for Sano, and eventually for Yahiko. Kenshin was special at the time because he was in the greatest danger of being killed. They are my family now. I do not want to lose any of my family.

Furthermore, Kenshin is my best friend. If I lose him, I don't know what I'd do, that's why I get so worked up about him leaving. For goodness sake, the baka rurouni just has this lame ass idea that his past would get to all of us. Mou! I really want to deck him for that.

Sometimes I think that if I have to get married, I would marry Kenshin, just because of all of the men I've met, Kenshin is the one I trust the most. Better him than some weirdo I think I've fallen in love with. I'd probably end up hating whoever he is and be miserable for the rest of my life. With Kenshin, that's almost certain not to happen.

I remembered clearly the day Kenshin gave me a ring. It took me about two seconds to realize that the idiot knew nothing about Western practices. So, being the imp that I am, I played along and had loads of fun making him squirm. Men and marriage, really! It's like they have an allergy for commitment or something. It was the most fun I've had since...well, since ever!

There are times that I have this strong urge to tell him what I really feel, just so he'd stop being so uncomfortable when the others tease us. The poor guy ends up squirming and blushing, not knowing what to say. Maybe one of these days.

Right now, I have other things to worry about, like how I'm going to survive this little crisis with the Shikeigai killers.

"Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"Have you started making dinner yet?"

He seemed surprised that it was already that late. "No...I almost forgot..."

I got to my feet and smiled at him. "I think you need a break. I'll do it." I just love watching him react to my offers of cooking dinner. He always gets this confused look in his eyes that would ask "What am I going to do now?" Kenshin never wants to offend me, yet he cares enough to give everyone an edible meal. He still hasn't figured out the right formula.

"I'll help you, Kaoru-dono," he said, getting up with me.

Mou! In love with him or not, I really hate that "dono" bit. Kenshin, you idiot! Don't you know enough to be less formal with your best friend?

"Are you sure, Kenshin?" I asked, heading out of the dojo. "You can sit this one out. I'll be fine in the kitchen."

"I'm sure you will be, Kaoru-dono, but I feel sad when I know you're alone."

I suppressed a smirk. How sweet, and how lame. My lame and sweet rurouni. He really is such a doll!

Yasushige's death shouldn't have bothered me that much, I guess. I mean, it's not like he was my good friend or anything. The Shikeigai members didn't really have much contact with each other. There was the occasional general meeting, but that was about it. The only one I had close contact with among the other members was Kyosuke, a boy who was stationed with me in the same enemy faction for a few weeks during the last upheavals of the Bakumatsu in 1874. He became sort of my boyfriend, but it's not like we were in love or anything. We were a couple of thirteen-year-olds who merely ran to each other when the abuse the men dealt on us was particularly unbearable. If there would be anybody I'd lament, it would be Kyosuke, even if he was somewhat of a pervert, and at such a young age too! Probably the doing of those pedophiles we were prone to encounter.

Yasushige's murder is really getting to me.

I'm edgy, oftentimes unpleasant, and lately, I've been finding myself slipping into Bakumatsu mode. Yahiko noticed, which pretty much means all the others have noticed it as well.

I'm expecting Kenshin to talk to me about it soon enough.

The "talk" came when I was doing my training in the dojo about a week after I read the terrible news in the paper.

I was training with great intensity, knowing that all of my pent-up fear and anger was being directed at my imaginary opponent.

Kenshin padded into the dojo calmly, sitting himself in the corner to watch me practice. It was kind of unnerving. I knew I could never be like Kenshin in the art of the sword, but I needed to do this. I need to beat the ideals of Kamiya Kasshin into my head. Because...because there are things inside me that just had to go away. Ghosts...demons...take a deep breath Kaoru...

I stopped training to look at him, regaining control of my emotions. "What brings you here, Kenshin?" Skilled though I was in my kenjutsu, Kenshin was indeed a master with his weapon. I could not help but feel inadequate with the sword when he was around.

He smiled and gave me one of his disarmingly innocent looks. "Kaoru-dono, has something been bothering you?"

Well, here it is. What am I supposed to say? I guess I'm going to have to lie again. I wish I didn't have to lie to my best friend all the time. "Nothing, Kenshin. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

He gave a casual shrug, gesturing for me to sit down. "You've been different these past few days. Your temper's shorter than usual and you've been...talking to yourself when you think no one hears you. Sessha is worried, de gozaru."

Of course he would be. Kenshin is a world class worrywart, especially when it comes to me. When he gets this way, I have the urge to tell him off by saying I lived my life without all of them for at least two years, but that would seem a bit harsh. Having someone worried about me comes with the territory of having family, and I preferred to have a company of worriers than be alone and have no one to care about what happens to me. Loneliness can be a pain in the ass that way.

I sat in front of him and managed a small smile. Would it be so bad to tell him the truth? What was I afraid of, anyway?

Well, I know the answer to that.

He might pick up and leave, that's what. With all the lying I've done and all the secrets I've kept, I wouldn't be surprised if he tells me he could not live with a person who had suddenly become a stranger. Apart from that, how angry would he be if I destroyed the pure and virtuous image he had of me? He always thought of me as some pristine, untouchable girl. It's what he's been protecting all this time. What would he do if he found out that his pristine and untouchable girl did not exist, and that he's been protecting some jaded bitch who's about as innocent as a snake crawling in the grass? Who has a past that can rival his in its trail of blood?

"Kenshin, you don't have to worry about me," I said, grinning at him. "Whatever it is I'm going through, I can handle it by myself, alright?"

He stared at me intently, cocking his head to the side as if it would give him a better view of my eyes.

I looked away with a bit of unease. He really should stop doing that. It gets me thinking too much about...things I shouldn't be thinking about. It's really difficult to act with Kenshin. Between the two of us, I think he is the pure one.

I felt his hand on my chin, lifting my face so that our eyes would meet and I would have no escape. "Kaoru-dono, tell me what's wrong," he asked me in a quiet voice so filled with strength.

Oh, just great. How am I suppose to get away with my colossal whoppers with him staring down at me like that? "I couldn't," I said with the best truth I could muster. "I shouldn't. Kenshin, none of you should get involved in this. I can handle it."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow, letting go of my chin. I took that opportunity to look away again.

If he doesn't let it drop, I swear I'll run.

"If you say so, Kaoru-dono," he said, leaning back on his seat.

Well, that's a surprise. One thing I know about Kenshin is his stubbornness. His giving in so easily only meant that he was planning to do something about it by himself.

I glared at him. "What are you planning to do, Kenshin?" He was not as good at acting as I was.

"Eh? I am planning nothing, Kaoru-dono," he said, flashing his smile again. "Sessha is merely respecting your privacy."

Right.

I restrained myself from telling him that a spy could spot another spy a mile off. Instead I said, "Kenshin, if you had made a habit out of respecting my privacy, you wouldn't be so worried all the time. Just give me ample warning before you do anything stupid, alright?"

"Oro!" Was his response, as usual.

I swear, it's Kenshin's all purpose Save-Your-Ass word. It's what he says when he doesn't know what to say; it's what he says when he knows what to say but doesn't want to say it; and it's also what he says when he figures that whatever he says will do no earthly good for him.

The others think it's what he says when he's surprised. The day Kenshin is surprised is the day I can pull a diamond out of my butt hole. Do they expect me to believe that the skilled and most feared assassin this country has ever known can be surprised by edged retorts and displays of insanity from his circle of friends? It's an act, I tell you.

Cute, but an act.

"Now speaking of privacy," I continued, getting to my feet. "Do you think I could have some? I want to complete my training."

Kenshin smiled but stayed put. "Sessha will stay a while. Sessha promises to stay quiet so as not to interrupt you."

That sneaky...I grit my teeth and glared at him. "In that case, I can train later, when you've left the dojo," I huffed, getting ready to leave.

It did not lessen the brilliance of his smile one bit. "Where are you going, Kaoru-dono?"

Where indeed? Nothing to do in the house. Training was the only thing that I was supposed to do. This rurouni sure knows how to back someone into a corner. If I tell him I'm going to the market, he'd just want to come with me, and so that means I'll have to BUY something. Considering my dwindling treasury, I couldn't afford to put up that kind of act!

"Alright Kenshin. I surrender," I said. He twists arms so subtly. I'll strangle him later, when he knows too much.

Just kidding.

His rurouni grin persisted. "Sessha was not aware of a battle."

I laughed in spite of myself and slapped his arm playfully. "Kenshin! If you want a battle, I'll give you one!"

"Maa...maa..." He said, raising his hands in his signature rurouni way. "Kaoru-dono, sessha is just teasing. Tell me what's bothering you, and maybe sessha can fix it."

"Sessha" can't fix it. I shook my head and looked him straight in the eyes. "Kenshin, oh nosy one, there are some things you just shouldn't get involved in. Please believe me when I say that. I don't know how I'm going to handle this, but I'll think of something. I promise you though, it's not going to...hurt anyone..." else...I added in thought.

Kenshin, ever the perceptive one, saw right through it. His brows knotted more intensely than ever. "If you are in danger, sessha wants to get involved. Please, Kaoru-dono..."

I sighed. "I'll be fine, Kenshin." I can be just as stubborn. Goodness...talk about battles. When it comes to his stubbornness and mine, it can become a full-blown war.

I can make out a temporary cease-fire brewing in his violet gaze. "Very well. Sessha will back out, for now. But I will ask again. Sessha is not in the habit of not caring."

"Boy, do I know it," I muttered.

He chuckled, bowing his head in acquiescence.

I think it was a result of that talk that I became ten times more guarded about my feelings. I wasn't really aware of how much I've been applying my acting skills until I got to bed, exhausted from my efforts.

Kenshin has not asked me about it again all week, which means I did a really good job, because in reality, it's all I've been thinking about. I want to find a way to save my behind, because I like it so very much to part with it.

I thought of going to Saitoh, but then it came to me like, helllloooo! He's the ex-3rd-Squadron-Leader of the Shinsengumi. Might as well serve my unattached head on a silver platter. The Oniwabanshu is an option, but I'm not so keen about the idea of revealing my true history, even to them. They'll keep it from Kenshin, if I ask them to, but the Oniwabanshu members are too close to us. The rurouni will find out for himself. To send a letter might be too dangerous, which means I'll have to go to Kyoto and tell Aoshi face to face. Fat chance anyone not noticing that.

I don't know how I'm going to deal with this.

Little did I know that the opportunity, or the bombshell (of which I came to call it) would be stepping through my doorstep soon enough.

Oh, it was the worse of days. I had just woken up from one of the most horrible nightmares ever. It started nice enough, and ended in a bloodbath, streaks of red on my palms and fingers. Bodies everywhere. Kenshin's, Yahiko's, Sano's...practically everyone I know, dead at my feet by the hand of some shadow lurking in the darkness. The worse part of it was, I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't move. Nightmares get that way.

Thank goodness when I woke up, I wasn't screaming. I'm not a nightmare screamer, nor am I a nightmare thrasher. Too many nights with the enemy and the will to preserve my life has kept me from that.

Nobody need know I've been having horrible dreams. Even if it does eat me up, the important thing is, nobody gets wind of it.

Of course, from that nightmare, things had to get worse.

My acting skills were in full throttle. I was cheerful, sunshiny, with a perfect semblance of happiness. No one could tell that a storm was raging inside my head, that I was bursting with wracked nerves. It took all of my will power to keep myself under control.

When Yahiko and Sano were fighting over the morsels of food, I thought everything would be fine, then it happened.

Somebody from my past just had to walk through the dojo gate.

I don't know when exactly I snapped. Maybe it was when I laid eyes on him, or maybe when he started to talk. But I lost my handle on things, and everything just went berserk.

"Good morning, Kaoru!" An unfamiliar voice cried from the gate.

I looked, and for a moment, the long brown locks and green eyes did not register in my memory, but when he grinned, it just all came crashing into brain like lighting and thunder. The smile of a spy. More particularly, the smile of a Shikeigai spy.

My eyes widened in recognition, and he gave a friendly wave, approaching us in our open door breakfast.

The cut of the jaw...the nose...that face! Reshaped by maturity, but undoubtedly him nevertheless!

"K-Kyosuke?" I asked in disbelief.

He grinned, holding up a pail that had something thrashing in it mysteriously. "You recognized me! I was afraid you wouldn't! It's been a while, I tell you." He looked around for a moment and that bought me time to recover from my catatonia. The others were already looking from me to Kyosuke, confused, but not threatened.

"Wow," He continued. "Nice place you got here. I was just passing through Edo on my way to Yokohama, and I said, what the heck? It would be nice to see Kamiya and catch up on old times, ne?"

I don't know what possessed me at that moment. I didn't think. I didn't stop to consider the consequences, but on top of everything I've been feeling all week, all the hiding, all the acting and all the lying, I just flew way off...way off my handle.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. The idiot! I was so angry that I completely forgot that the others were in the same room with us.

Quite predictably, they all stared at me in shock.

"But Kaoru-baby. I brought a catfish!" Kyosuke said, keeping his game face.

Is he hoping to get killed? I swear! Aargh! The "baby" was bad enough. The others were bristling already, but the catfish...oooooh! He just knows how much I hate it! He brought it to be a jackass! Just one of his un-funny jokes. Then I just bet he'll ask me to cook it! Just to grind the joke even deeper! Oh, I'll cook it. He doesn't know just how I've perfected the art of making poisonous food.

I got to my feet, my hands fisting on my sides. "I don't fucking care! What the hell were you thinking coming here?" My glare could have struck him dead on the spot.

My family's jaws dropped to the floor.

Kyosuke's smile finally disappeared and he rolled his eyes around in exasperation. His friendly demeanor was gone and the Kyosuke I knew stood before me in all his asshole-ish glory. "Is anyone there in that tiny brain of yours? Isn't it obvious why I'm here? Haven't you been reading the papers?"

"I have!" I responded impatiently. "Which is precisely why you shouldn't be here! Jeez, you fucking idiot! Do you have any idea-"

"Oh, I can't believe you're still such a bitch after all these years, Kamiya," Kyosuke said, his street drawl growing thicker by the second. "You think I like dragging my ass all the way from Aizu to see you? Well, I don't! I'd rather stay home, with my women..."

"With your whores," I corrected him acidly.

His face reddened but he continued. "Whatever! The point is, we can't take this sitting down, Kaoru. You may be next!" He yelled, pointing a finger at my face.

I slapped his hand away. "Don't you point your finger at me, you stupid pervert! You know what you've just done? You've just fucked up any chance we have at surviving this!"

"Well, you know what?" Kyosuke asked, putting down his pail and stepping closer to me. "Fuck you," he said calmly, pushing me on the shoulder then waiting to see how I would react.

I gasped, my mouth dropping open. Then I set my face in a very displeased frown. "Don't do that again, Kyosuke. I swear..."

"Oh? You mean this?" He pushed my shoulder again, more pointedly this time.

"I'll give you one last chance to take that back..." I growled, steam coming out of my ears.

He chuckled and flicked my forehead. "Kiss my ass," he said.

That is IT! Screaming through my grit teeth, I jumped him, sending both of us to the floor while I pulled at his hair, banging his head on the hard wood repeatedly. The pail spilled, causing the catfish to thrash wildly.

"You want a piece of me? Huh? Huh!" He yelled, his own fists taking locks of my hair and rolling me beneath him, straddling me. His eyes took on a strangely familiar glaze, and one hand releasing my hair, he pulled his palm back as its fingers stiffened, poised for an attack that brought back times of the Bakumatsu so potently that I could almost smell it.

I screeched, mustering monumental control on a sudden onslaught. My hand shook as it slowly crept to the vein on his throat...don't kill him Kaoru, no need for that! Just give him something to cry about...no need to kill...no need to kill...but he will...NO HE WON'T!

Biting hard down on my lip, I tasted my own blood and found the control I needed. I kicked him between the legs.

He blinked, the glaze disappearing from his eyes, then he laughed loudly. "Nice try, bitch!"

How the hell did he withstand that? Doesn't matter! It did it's job!

Amidst the chaos of our biting and scratching, I heard Kenshin cry an "Oro!"

The rest found their senses and they fell to separating us.

Sano pried Kyosuke off me and threw him back against the wall. Kenshin pulled me to my feet and kept me from continuing my attack on Kyosuke while the rest of my men went into defensive stance in front of me.

"L-Lemme go, Kenshin!" I said, trying to squirm from his embrace.

Kyosuke found that time to collect himself, straightening his tousled kimono.

Kenshin spoke as he held me. "Kaoru-dono does not want you here, Kyosuke-san. After the things you've said and did to her, I think you should leave."

Sano nodded. "You don't get to call her names, fool. That's reserved for this guy right here," he said, clapping a hand on Yahiko's shoulder.

To the boy's credit, he didn't say anything. He just held his stance and glared at Kyosuke's disheveled form.

"What?" Kyosuke cried incredulously. As usual, he could not keep his mouth shut. "She was just as bad as I was!"

"You are in her home, Kyosuke-san," Kenshin said calmly.

I began to calm down myself, realizing that I was going to have a horrible time explaining all this to them. What the hell am I going to do now? This is just faaaaantastic. All those years, taking care not to slip, every single day an acting job that would put the most seasoned Kabuki to shame, and I blow my cover in a span of two minutes! All my hard work of keeping this, down the drain, just because the superior-imbecile Kyosuke decided to drop by and have a chat with me. Of all the idiotic things...

I screwed my eyes shut in frustration and bumped the heels of my hands repeatedly on my forehead. Moron, moron, moron...I should have kept my cool. I should have just counted to ten and for once in my life, put my so-called genius to good use! For heaven's sake, I had put up with worse things before! And now some halfwit walks through my door and I'm suddenly Sumo wrestling like there was no tomorrow! And I almost...he almost...argh! Damn that Sakibou!

Peeping through my inner turmoil, I surveyed the current situation.

Kyosuke eyed Kenshin curiously, then he raised a brow, realization coming to him all of a sudden. "Kaoru-baby, it's just like you to have Battousai come live with you. Hiding behind him, no less."

Grrrr! Asshole!

I glared at him, my fingers curling to form a circle that might have been the perfect fit of his neck. Because of what he said, lying has practically become a non-existent option. They'd want me to explain why it would be "just like me" to have Battousai in my home.

Suppressing the extreme urge to strangle him, I made a disrespectful gesture to Kyosuke with my hand and stomped off, heading for the kitchen. Maybe I can sneak myself a delicious dessert or something. I need sweets, badly.

I'll leave Kyosuke to deal with my protectors. He damn well deserves what comes to him.

Kyosuke could be such an idiot!

Doesn't matter that he was a child-genius like me, commonsense apparently doesn't go with the territory!

I sat facing the mirror in my room, gorging on the sweets I found on the pantry. Ah, a girl and her goodies. What will women do without the occasional binge session?

Kaoru, you will never live this down.

All those days with the enemy, spiriting away information, documents that won't be missed, doing anything and everything to preserve the enemy's trust...how can they think I'm pure, anyway? I'm more stained than Kenshin, in more ways than one. The rurouni should have felt it in my ki. I'm pretty sure I haven't learned how to control my life-force.

I heard my shoji door slide open, and I can see Kenshin's anxious face flanked by Yahiko and Sano.

"Kyosuke-san told me to tell you that if you change your mind, you can reach him at this address," Kenshin said, fishing a piece of paper from his sleeve and extending it to me. "He said he's going to leave for Yokohama two days from now to go see Banshio and warn him."

I took the paper Kenshin held and said nothing as I tucked it into my kimono. I didn't feel like talking just yet. They would ask anyway.

Sure enough, they did not fail me. "Jou-chan, what the hell is going on? Who was that guy? I know he isn't an enemy, so what is he to you?"

I made a last ditch effort to make them stop asking questions. "Don't mind me, everyone. Kyosuke's just an old friend."

"Old friends don't swear at each other and pull at each other's hair," Kenshin said quietly.

Yes they do, I wanted to tell him. In my case, they do. We're a tough crowd, Kenshin. Of course, it was completely useless to say that.

I gave a slight smile. I could feel my stomach knotting almost painfully in my belly. "This will...take a while." No! I couldn't! I couldn't do this! I look up, hoping against hope that for some reason, they decide not to insist upon it.

"We're not going anywhere," Yahiko said, sitting on my futon comfortably.

"I'll get the tea," Kenshin said, heading off.

Sano sat beside Yahiko, pushing the child to get more space for himself.

Alright, me and my big mouth. This is what I get.

My heart began to thud wildly. I'm afraid...afraid of telling them. How would they take it? What would they do when they find out that the Kamiya Kaoru they know and love isn't all who they thought she was?

I suppose...it's about time I told them the truth. It needs telling anyhow, Kyosuke's sudden appearance and my monumental lapse of control has made it necessary.

Better that it come from me than from some wacko out there bent on killing me, right? And at this point, keeping it from them will only put them in more danger, because I just know their snooping will make them as dead as I probably am.

Am I ready to do this? Am I ready to bare everything to them after all these years of keeping it a secret? I'll just have to be ready, I guess. They deserve the truth, and as for what I deserve...I'll leave that decision to them.

With a pot of tea between the four of us, I told them. I told them everything, from my recruitment to the reports in the newspaper last week. Well, I left out a lot of gory details. I didn't tell them about the men raping me. I didn't tell them that I had killed. That information would come in time, when all of the important stuff had sunk in.

I could already tell that they could barely believe what I was saying.

Kenshin already looked a little angry. Whether it was directed at me, I could not say, but it got my heartbeat going again. I think I'm about to bust my vein.

I continued on bravely, explaining that my father knew nothing, because the Ishinshishi timed my assignments when daddy was away. Of course, the Ishinshishi also manipulated the length of daddy's assignments to fit their needs. Father was just a cop after all. I was an important spy. Daddy accommodated me, not the other way around. Dr. Genzai was even easier to deceive. The kindly old man was made to believe that I had been placed in the care of a very dear and trustworthy aunt, a sister of my mother who had just recently arrived from England. She pretended to stay with me in the Kamiya compound, when what she was actually doing was covering up for my absence: Answering, in my stead, the letters father sent me (complete with the forged handwriting); taking care of the house; making sure that no one suspected I was gone...it was a highly organized operation. Until now, I marveled at how no one found me out. I suppose it's because we had insiders in the Shinsegumi, thanks to a man named Kiyok.

I wanted to lay my cards out for Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko to see as much as possible. I even told them about the cooking, which I think blew them away the most.

"Do you know how much those friggin' fools in the Shinsengumi could eat?" I told them, my eyes flashing at the mere memory. "They're like 'Ikiro, more rice! Or I'll kick your ass!' and 'Cook a little faster, you squirt! We gotta kill some people tonight and I don't want to do it on an empty stomach!' It's infuriating! Then at the end of it all, I get stuck with the shitty scraps. Mou! I'm sorry I lied about that, but cooking just makes me feel like throwing a hand bomb just to pulverize those goddamn fools!" I prattled.

I saw them cringe because of my language. I think I should lay off a little on my Bakumatsu drawl. It wouldn't hurt to spare them that, at least. The Kaoru they knew was disintegrating right before their eyes. I don't want to strain them any more than they already are.

"S-Sorry..." I said, blushing a bit. "Pardon my French, but they weren't exactly fond memories. There are still quite a few things I haven't told you, but I think I'll keep those things to myself until I see it fit to be divulged. I don't want to make you kids squirm."

That was enough to make them squirm already, except maybe for Kenshin, who had gone quiet behind the veil of his bangs.

My heart sank. He hates me. I just know it. He will pick-up and leave...

"Kaoru-dono," he suddenly said. "So the Shinobi Kei Gaikotsu was true."

I bowed my head and fiddled with my fingers. Not acting now. I truly am awaiting his reaction with dread. "Yes. Quite true."

A pause settled upon us, and then suddenly, Kenshin spoke.

"Sanosuke, Yahiko, leave us," he said to them in a tone none of us have yet managed to defy.

The two of them got to their feet.

"Damn, Jou-chan..." Sano muttered as he left. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"You said it, rooster-head," Yahiko seconded.

"Oi! Who you calling rooster-head?" Sano demanded, their voices fading in their retreat.

I've never wanted them to continue their banter in our presence more than I do now. Don't leave me with Kenshin! He just might kill me! Or spit in my face, which is a lot worse! God help me.

When we were absolutely alone, Kenshin raised his gaze.

His eyes were purple, and compassion danced in them. I think I was never more relieved in my life.

"Kaoru-dono...why didn't you tell me?" He asked, sounding half-hurt, half-reproachful.

He had a right to be both. Essentially, I have been lying about my existence all this time. I should have trusted him if not the others, but there were just too many difficulties to overcome.

"I...I couldn't, Kenshin," I replied softly, meeting his gaze. "I was bound by a code of honor to keep it all a secret. And I had to think about the safety of the others, and reputations, and...now, I suppose their being dead changes that. I am sorry I lied, but I only lied with respect to that aspect of my life. Everything else about me is true, whatever that's worth. It's not much, but everything that doesn't involve my secret past...I didn't lie about any of it."

His brows knotted in worry, and he cupped my face in his hand, caressing my cheek with his thumb.

He shouldn't do that...he shouldn't...

"Kaoru-dono," he murmured. "If I had known the rumors about the Shikeigai were true...if I have known they used children...I would have gone against it. I would have put a stop to it. It's not right. I am sorry the Ishinshishi stooped so low."

"Oh, but we did it voluntarily, Kenshin!" I said in protest.

He shook his head and stared into my eyes intently. "But you were children...brilliant though you all were, you hadn't the slightest idea what was good for you. You deserved to leave war to the grown-ups. Kaoru-dono, I wish you didn't have to go through all that."

I pulled away from him slightly, unable to stand the way he was peering into my soul. "I-It wasn't so bad."

He said nothing.

"Keshin..." I began in a soft voice. "Do you feel like you don't know who I am anymore?"

He remained silent for what felt like forever. Dread rose in me anew, and the longer he stayed quiet, the more worried I became. I was actually holding my breath, and I would have turned a sickly blue if he hadn't spoken that very moment.

"No," he finally replied with a shake of his head. "I feel like I know you better. Kaoru-dono...I've noticed things in the past about you. Things I felt rather than saw. It confused me, but now I can fill in the gaps."

So, I'm not such a good actress after all. Or maybe it was the ki thing. Like he said, he didn't see it, he felt it. Either way, I really couldn't get one over the rurouni.

I gave him a plaintive smile. "I'm glad I haven't frightened you away. But Kenshin, there's something I think I should tell you." If I want to come clean, now is the time.

Kenshin arched an eyebrow. "More secrets, de gozaru ka?"

I chuckled. "Sort of. I know you feel uncomfortable when people tease us as a couple. I just want you to know that you don't have to worry about me. I'm not really in love with you that way. I love you and care for you and all that, but as my best friend. All that romantic stuff, it was just my way of having fun."

He stared at me in shock. "I...sessha..."

My smile got brighter. I was feeling less weighted now. A bit of the burden has been lifted. "I can still pretend for the others if you want. It's cute, ne my handsome rurouni? Little Tanuki-chan making goo-goo eyes at the samurai."

"Oro..."

I giggled at his lost expression.

"B-But..." he began. "What about Kyoto?"

I blushed to the roots of my hair. He just had to bring that up, didn't he? "That was real. I didn't want you to go and leave me. Spies get lonely too, you know."

Kenshin looked at me, his eyes softening. Spies like me, we can read emotions through a person's eyes, and right now, Kenshin's mingled with sadness, compassion, endearment. I would have to ask him about them some other time.

I tugged playfully at a lock of his hair. "I'm not heartless, you know. I can care for people in spite of what I went through, but as for men and me...that's different. I'd...rather be careful, that's all."

Kenshin frowned slightly. "Is there something really repulsive about me that you couldn't possibly...it's my past, isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes around and chuckled. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Kenshin. Don't take it personally. It's just men in general, that's all. Besides, my past is perhaps as bad as yours, if not worse."

He shook his head in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

This rurouni will need convincing, I see. He still insists on perceiving me as the sweet and wholesome kenjutsu instructor. "Kenshin, I have taken lives. Four of them. Once when I was seven, once when I was eight and twice when I was ten. I did it, not because they deserved it, but because I decided they shouldn't live. Even Battousai cannot boast of having killed and decided to kill at so young an age. Then of course...there were the pedophiles..."

Kenshin stared at me in horror. "No...Kaoru-dono..."

I just knew he would react this way. "It wasn't so bad once I got used to it, Kenshin. Of course, it was rape every time, but all of us in the Shikeigai went through it. Even the boys. It's funny how I discovered that. I remember pretending to be a boy because I thought then the men wouldn't touch me as one, but I realized in a hurry that I was more attractive as a little boy than as a little girl, so on that observation, I think it was worse for the boys. I for one know that sodomy hurts a helluva lot more than having it done the other way..."

His eyes filled with tears for me. It was just like Kenshin to feel sympathy rather than disgust. He actually reached out and smoothed the hair on my head.

I smiled, and just for the pleasure of it, I let him take me in his embrace. I liked this warmth. It made me feel safe and loved. It's been a long time. I used to get the same sense of security from my father.

"Kaoru-dono," he murmured, nestling his chin gently against my head. "You should have told me all of this. Part of the reason I can live with my guilt is because I can tell you about them somehow, in part, if not in its entirety. You are always there to ease my troubled dreams. How can you stand to keep all your nightmares to yourself?"

My eyes were closed, enjoying the comfort of his arms. "I just do. I dream every night," I replied in a matter of fact tone. "It's no big deal. I've sort of gotten used to it."

"Kaoru-dono..." he said in gentle reproach.

"It's alright," I replied, feeling languorous already. I was so damn comfortable with my cheek against his chest. "Dreams go away when you wake up."

He sighed, running his fingers lightly in my hair. "You were always stronger than sessha, Kaoru-dono."

The guy doesn't know what he's saying. He's such a moron about himself sometimes. Didn't he know that part of the reason myself and the rest of the Shikeigai agreed to do what we did was because we idolized the great Hitokiri Battousai and what he stood for? Of course, I wasn't about to tell him that. He'll likely go on about how terrible Battousai was, that he did nothing admirable, yadda, yadda, yadda.

"Mou!" I exclaimed, hitting him on the chest affectionately. "That isn't true! I ought to give you a wedgie for saying such a thing! Has a bitch ever given you a wedgie, Kenshin?"

The moment I said it, I covered my mouth. That was positively scandalous coming from me! I must guard myself against my Bakumatsu lingo. It's terrible.

Kenshin chuckled and looked down on my upturned face. "Kaoru-dono, kawaii..."

Ka...waii...? Is he nuts? I haven't felt like washing my mouth with soap since ten years ago, when I spat an expletive at Doctor Genzai by accident. "Don't you go weird on me now."

He smiled at me and chucked my chin. "This trust you have for me...I am grateful."

"Glad to give it, rurouni," I replied, tilting my head to the side.

Kenshin brushed a hand on my face to push some hair from my forehead.

He's...kinda close...

"Yo, busu! How about you show off your real cooking-oops!"

We both turned to look and saw Yahiko fleeing for his life.

I grinned back at Kenshin and he returned it.

"Nice to see some things stay the same, ne?" I said to him.

"Indeed," he replied.

Taking a deep breath and sitting up, I gave my token holler. "Yahiko! You little brat! Get back here!"


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**THE SPY**

"Kaoru-dono..."

Mou! Still with the "dono". I bare my soul to him not more than an hour and a half ago and he still does that "dono" thing. Really! Doesn't he realize that after everything I've told him, I don't deserve that honorific anymore? Honorific like that fits Tae, Tsubame, heck, even Megumi, but not dirty, soiled little ole me.

I think I'd rather he go with the Kaoru-baby Kyosuke so lavishly imparts on me. At least it's informal.

"Yes, Kenshin?" I respond anyway.

He opened his mouth, hesitated, then went on. "Should I coat the shrimp with breadcrumbs after I've dipped it in batter? Will it make the dish taste better?"

Ah. Hence the hesitation. I have still shown reluctance to be active in the kitchen. Frankly, I don't feel like manning the place just yet. Granted, the men of the Kamiya Dojo aren't as rowdy as the Shinsengumi, but cooking for others...eyargh...still gives me the willies. However, if I want to cope with his whole scenario, I might as well get with it. I told them the truth after all.

I smiled at him and gave him a demonstration while I instructed him. "You can coat it in crumbs, but you have to do it sparingly, or else your shrimp will just taste like it came out of a paper mill. Also, it's better if you make the batter dribble off a bit from the shrimp before getting it in the crumbs. Don't let the crumbs stand for too long out of the oil. The moment you coat, fry it, or else your shrimp will be a soggy, greasy mess. Do it like so..."

By the time I was done, there were six shrimps crinkling merrily in the pan, and just before they turned brown, I whipped them out with a scooping sieve.

"Oro..."

Couldn't believe it until you saw it could you, Kenshin? I suppressed my smirk and turned back to chopping the vegetables, my knife skills cutting the pieces into perfect, even strips. I think I'm showing off again, but it's been a long time since I cooked well in front of anybody.

Kenshin proceeded to do as he had been instructed. He did the whole thing flawlessly. The guy has a natural talent for culinary arts.

"Kenshin," I said, setting the vegetable pieces aside.

"Yes, Kaoru-dono?" He asked in response.

I should get this over with. "I'm thinking of seeing Kyosuke tomorrow, before he leaves..."

"I will go with you, Kaoru-dono," he said before I could finish.

Well, that confirms it. He will get involved whether I like it or not. It was stupid of me to even consider the possibility that he would let me do this on my own, since no such possibility, even in the four corners of hell, ever really existed. Now that I've told all of them, I realized that I should have kept Sano and Yahiko out of it.

Oh, there I go again. Once more, Kaoru: There was no way in hell that the brat and the rooster head would have kept their noses out of this either. Worriers, the lot of them, remember?

I gave a small sigh.

I'll see how it works out with Kyosuke. It's best we make the visit in secret, so that Sano or Yahiko don't get more involved than they already are. Or else, if only to delay the inevitable...shees.

Spies do, after all, work best in small numbers.

The following morning, Kenshin and I headed out of the Kamiya dojo, fending off the pickpocket's and the freeloader's inquiries with a convenient lie about going to the market to buy groceries. We still had to ignore their suspicious squints, but being the expert actress that I am, I think we managed to convince them. I do so hate this lying, especially now when I've told them so many truths, but it, like many of my other lies, was necessary.

Now, as we walked the path going to Kyosuke's current living quarters, Kenshin's silence was weighted. I don't know if it's because the magnitude of my revelations are only now dawning on him or because he's really thinking about something else.

I'd rather not ask. If I'm in trouble with him, I'd prefer be pushed than jump of my own free will. Sort of like standing on the edge of a cliff...

"Kaoru-dono," he began not long after.

Here it comes. "Yes, Kenshin?"

"Did you...ever encounter Saitoh?" He asked rather uneasily.

The poor dear. Should I spare him, or does he really want to know?

I decided to tell him the truth upon remembering that my new motto was no more lies. "Yes. I was stationed with his and Okita's squad for about one month."

His eyes flashed gold. "Did he hurt you?"

Oh Kenshin. Why torture yourself? "He did, but I was posted as a little girl. Hajime didn't like little girls. He just beat me once. My assignment with Squad 1 and 3 at the time was one of my easiest, I think, because there seemed to be no pedophiles in it. And Okita...he was the kindest...always so gentle."

Kenshin nodded. "That's good. At least he had the sense to treat you the way you deserved, unlike some people."

I smiled at him gently. Leader of the 1st Shinsengumi Patrol and Assistant Vice Commander, Souji Okita had showed me more affection than anyone in the Shinsengumi ever cared to impart. To the others, I was a pest, to Okita, I was the little girl who needed protection. Maybe the reason why I was untouched apart from Saitoh's beating was because Okita was around. Hmm...

I had called him Oki-niichan, and whenever I did, he smiled. I think Kenshin reminds me of him.

"Whenever there's a thunderstorm, I would go to Okita and he would let me crawl under the covers with him. Sometimes, when he sensed that the other men were getting too...rough, he would stay with me. I think it was to protect me from the others who might have ideas of...trying the little serving girl," I continued. "He is the only Shinesengumi I lament. Consumption shouldn't have taken him. He should have lived. And he would have been just like you, Kenshin."

He gazed at me with softened eyes. "Probably."

I smiled at him then turned my attention to our surroundings.

It was dirty, rough and totally bereft of order. Mou! It's just like Kyosuke to situate himself among the riffraff. This place is worse than Sano's part of town.

"Ugh! Kyosuke could be such a moron!" I grumbled, gingerly stepping over a very dirty puddle of water mixed with Kami-sama knows what.

Kenshin chuckled in amusement as he watched me avoid the grime.

"Let me help you, Kaoru-dono," he suddenly said when we found ourselves before a particularly wide pool of muck.

To my surprise, he lifted me by my waist, prompting my instant reaction to wrap my arms around his neck to keep my balance. He then carried me across with two large steps. The edge of his hakama was ruined, but my dress stayed as pristine as ever.

Carefully, he set me down, my surprise only beginning to settle down. "Kenshin, your clothes..." I said in a slightly embarrassed tone.

He grinned. "Better my pants than your kimono, Kaoru-dono," he said, his eyes staring down mine.

It was then I realized that we still had our arms around each other. Gently, I pulled away and smiled shyly. What the heck is wrong with me? Shy? Argh! This is all Kyosuke's fault. He's totally put me in emotional imbalance!

**THE HITOKIRI **

I watched as Kaoru walked away from me, her cheeks flaming from my boldness. Her adorable embarrassment endearing me to her even more than I thought possible. God...she smells good. I would never have done such a thing before all this. I would have done something like walk her around the puddle to get to the other side, but things have changed...because of last night.

She was a spy, during the Bakumatsu. I can handle that. She had been raped as a child. I can handle that, as long as I can get my hands on the bastards who did it. She can cook. I can certainly handle that, but...she doesn't love me the way I hoped she did? That I couldn't handle.

When she said the words..."I only love you as a friend," my heart...it stopped beating, then it shattered. It hurt so much to know that she had only been pretending.

Yes, there are other issues to think about, but I would be a hypocrite if I said that I could put off my feelings of pain for the other problems. They were all intertwined anyway. My Kaoru is in danger, and I must protect her. She is my life. If she dies, I die. There is nothing worth living for.

But then...she doesn't love me.

I think it's primarily my fault. She wouldn't have played if she knew she was pulling me in deep. I had put on such a good semblance of unaffected emotion that it convinced her it was safe to pretend without hurting my feelings. I should have shown her...so she would've...would've what? She would have stopped? If she had stopped, I would have fallen for her anyway.

Everything about her draws me, even her recent revelations. I think it only served to deepen my love for her all the more. Unlike before, she now seemed more reachable, more capable of understanding my pain, and like me, she is striving to live in this New World of peace, wanting to find happiness after so much suffering. We could do it together, she and I. Only...it seems she will not be willing to do such a thing as husband and wife. I thought we could, for a few minutes after her revelations, I thought we could. Even before her revelations, I had been seriously considering asking her to...but when she said those words...

Now, I seemed to have made an unspoken resolve to get her to love me, hence the rather aggressive advances. I don't know if I should. Like I said, there are other more important issues to worry about, but there are just matters that couldn't...shouldn't be put off.

A lot of things have changed about her overnight. Before all this, she liked doing that screaming and beating bit. I had thought it endearing, fitting perfectly with her innocence. I suppose now it would be ridiculous to say she was innocent, but that characteristic has certainly been replaced with something more profound. Wisdom. It showed too. Apparently, she had never been affected by Yahiko's name-calling. She always knew she was comely, she always knew she could cook, and she always knew that Yahiko never meant what he said. So the screaming and hitting had considerably lessened. Then there's this new-formed, or rather newly-revealed, poise she exuded in spite of the rather edged Shikeigai-speech that occasionally slips out of her. I have no doubt that her temper could still be called forth, perhaps to its usual frightening degree, but it's going to take more than an intoned "busu" or "ugly" to get it going for real. She had, in fact, shown it when Kyosuke first cropped up.

How could I possibly live with myself if I don't at least try to get this wonderful, strong and beautiful woman to fall in love with me?

I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but sitting by and doing nothing will not be one of them.

"Kenshin, hellooo! Are you waiting for something..." Merriment suddenly danced in her eyes as she looked at me over her shoulder. "...Honey-bunch?" She finished with a laugh.

She's playing again. Oh, what I would give for her to mean it. Well, probably not in that corny, mushy sense...

"No, Kaoru-dono. Sessha was just..." I said helplessly, catching up with her.

Kaoru gave a chuckle and linked her hand around my arm. "As zoned out as ever," she supplemented. "Really, Kenshin. Sometimes, I don't know what the heck you're thinking. And you know what, since I've been so honest and all that, do you think you can drop the 'dono'?"

I looked at her in mild astonishment, uncertain about how I should respond. "B-But Kaoru-dono..."

"Kenshin, puleez!" She sighed, the grin still on her face. "Enough already. You're...you're my best friend in the whole world. Best friends don't have 'dono' or 'san'. Please?" She asked softly, leaning her head affectionately on my shoulder.

I would give her anything she asked. Anything. How can I say no to her? Her gaze so full of honesty. Best friend...it hurts...but I ought to be content with that for now. "Yes, Kaoru..." I said in a low voice.

Her grin widened. "That's better. Now, where is this Hoteru Kurei? I bet it's crummy and dirty...just the way Kyosuke likes it. I bet he chose to stay in this part of town just to annoy me. The sleaze bag..." She let go of my arm to look at the establishments lined up at the side of the street.

I smiled a bit. The old Kaoru would never have said such things, but I'm really beginning to like this gritty side of her. It's very interesting and witty. Rather edged like Sano, but smarter. Like Megumi, but less malicious. Just right, just the way I love it.

We came upon the inn we were looking for and Kaoru looked up and down the run-down two-story building.

Kaoru's lip curled in distaste. "Eew. Didn't I tell you Kenshin? A rat-hole for one of the rattiest rats of the Bakumatsu."

"Kaoru-do...Kaoru," I began. It will take some getting used to. "Are you calling yourself a rat?" I asked with a slight smile.

She grinned. "Among other things. Let's go inside, Kenshin. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

She changed the subject. I never imagined Kaoru to have any self-worth issues. I thought that was reserved for me. She shouldn't have to feel any less than the rest of us, least of all me. I must have a talk with her concerning this...some other time.

We walked into the establishment and Kaoru immediately linked her hand to my arm again. I recognized the gesture for what it was. The other patrons were as seedy as the place. The men sitting about with women settled on their laps in the most immodest manner...hushed voices that were shady, not intimate...the men lounging about alone were quick to revert their eyes to Kaoru who was immeasurably comelier than the other women were. Her subtle act was a message that she was spoken for by me, and that she would have no takers.

I kept a calm seeming, but the first man who even attempts to make a proposition to her will see the edge of my sakabatou. The mere notion that any of them could even think they could solicit her got me indignant. Kaoru in no way looked liked a woman who would take such an occupation. What were they leering at?

"Room for two?" The innkeeper asked me from behind the counter.

It wasn't so much the question that got to me, but the suggestive arch of his eyebrow. I clenched my fist, but turning to Kaoru, I saw that no offense registered in her eyes. She looked calm and she would have answered the man off-handedly if she had been the one that had been asked.

"No," I replied through grit teeth. "We are here to see someone, de gozaru yo. Room...what is the number, Kaoru-dono?" I reverted back to the honorific, just to let the man know that Kaoru has my respect, and that she is nothing like the women here.

Some amusement glinted in her eyes and I knew she understood. Quite primly, she answered. "Room 5, I believe."

I turned back to the innkeeper. "Yes. Room 5. The gentleman staying in it is expecting us. You can verify it yourself."

The innkeeper scoffed. "Don't have to. Staying out of people's business s'what I do. Safer that way. Go on ahead."

Kaoru and I bowed and headed for the stairs.

I heard the innkeeper mutter, "Go on ahead to your orgy."

"Oro! That son of a...!"

"Hush Kenshin," Kaoru told me, squeezing my arm to stay my rising anger. "Let it go. His opinion doesn't matter to me."

I stared at Kaoru and saw that she was in earnest. How changed she is, indeed. Wiser. Well, she has always been wise, but she has never shown it in this manner before. I'm glad I'm getting to know this Kaoru better.

Climbing the steps, we came upon the rooms, the hallway littered with men and women chasing each other about, half-dressed. Some were sprawled against the floor and wall, high with opium, and the racket that went on behind closed doors...made me blush.

Kaoru sighed and shook her head. "Kyosuke, you pervert," she muttered to herself, detaching her hand from my arm and walking ahead of me to find Room 5.

I saw a man approaching her and I was about ready to give him a taste of my sakabatou's hilt when Kaoru raised a palm to his face in disgust.

"Please!" She snapped with her lips curled. "Even if I needed it, I'm not getting it from you!"

The man left her alone, muttering profanities about a frigid-bitch.

I ought to get him for that, but Kaoru is right. He isn't worth it.

Following close behind her, we reached the door marked "5".

I felt a flush creep up my cheeks when I heard sounds of passion emanating from behind the closed door.

Kaoru looked at me, a bit embarrassed herself. "I suppose we should wait a bit...Kyosuke should be...done...mou!"

I chuckled a bit. "Perhaps we should come back another time...?"

Kaoru shook her head. "Naa. Kyosuke probably isn't the Mr. Longevity type, if you know what I mean."

"Oro!" I exclaimed. I wanted to ask her just how she could tell. It has crossed my mind whether she had something with Kyosuke before, but I didn't want to entertain the thought. I still don't. Kyosuke isn't half worthy of her.

A loud groan ensued from inside, then a few more seconds later, there was a loud curse, from a woman.

Kaoru giggled. "See? What a loser!" She said, taking no time to rap her hand against the door. "Oi! It's me, Ikiro!"

She had used her Shikeigai name, I noticed, probably for security purposes.

I heard another curse, this time from a man.

"Dammit!" The woman with him yelled. "Haruna! I ain't done yet!"

Haruna? Maybe we have the wrong room. Or perhaps it's his other name.

Kaoru sighed. "Oh for heaven's sake! Nothing like a lousy lover to put a woman in a bad mood. Haruna! Open this door immediately!"

Well, Kaoru didn't seem bothered by it.

"Alright! Alright!" Haruna cried back. "Hold your horses! I'm there!"

The door swung open and there he was, Kyosuke himself, a clumsily put on robe covering his nakedness. The next thing I noticed was a strange odor emanating from the room. It smelled faintly of rotten eggs, but somewhat...diluted, as if it had been watered down by some kind of alcoholic substance. It wasn't pleasant at all.

Kaoru fanned her hand in front of her nose. "Pee-yeew! Kyosuke...this place needs some serious airing!"

I chuckled and was about to usher Kaoru inside when I froze in mid-gesture. I blushed upon seeing the woman taking cover in the sheets, a scowl on her face.

"Umm..." I began, looking away. "Perhaps the lady would want to get dressed first..."

"Nonsense," Kaoru said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the room with her, pushing Kyosuke aside.

"Come in," Kyosuke said sarcastically, shutting the door behind us.

Kaoru let her eyes rove and took a moment to grimace at a particularly hideous looking kimono hanging on the wall by a nail. It was purple, with gold trimmings and dotted with hundreds of tiny yellow dragons. "Ugh! That thing is atrocious! You've got horrible taste, Haruna."

Kyosuke glared at her. "I'd appreciate it if you leave my things alone. We clear on that? Yes? Greaaaat. Now give me a sec-"

Kaoru turned to the woman with a smile, cutting off Kyosuke. "Begging your pardon, ma'am, but this is quite necessary."

Goodness, Kaoru is taking this really well.

The woman frowned. "Well, you're mighty nice. Are you a whore too?" She asked, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a matchbox.

Kaoru chuckled. "Among other things."

Oro! There she goes again! She's as bad about her self-worth as I am!

Kyosuke rolled his eyes around and plucked a small pouch from his pile of things in the corner. He tossed it towards the woman and said, "Didn't I tell you that there will be no smoking in this room? Take your money and get out."

The woman gave a huff and picked the pouch up from beside her, along with her smoking paraphernalia. "Now I have to get off by myself because Mr. Two-Minutes can't hold his load," she muttered, wrapping the sheets around her as she got out of bed.

For goodness sake, she's so crass. I've never met a prostitute so free with her speech, and now, all I can really do was blush self-consciously. I would be lying if I said I've never dealt with whores before, what with the Bakumatsu and all, but back then, even Geisha lovers had some measure of modesty. Or maybe...they've always been crass, and it's just that the ones I came across with were too afraid of the Ishinshishi men to speak so liberally, particularly with the assassins...

"Look, I didn't pay you so I can pleasure you, so quit complaining." Kyosuke shot back.

"Hmph!" Said the woman, dropping her sheets and going for her kimono.

Oro! Now she's quite exposed!

I turned away completely, not at all amused. I should think a little self-respect was called for. She doesn't even know me.

Kaoru rolled her eyes around and gave me an apologetic look. She then turned to Kyosuke. "Get a clue, Haruna. You could at least be courteous enough to return the favor to the women you do."

Kyosuke smirked. "Care to show me how, Ikiro?"

I glared at him and pulled Kaoru closer to me, my gesture protective. "You will show nothing but respect for her," I found myself saying. In the past, I didn't react much to what people said to Kaoru. She didn't have to deal with such innuendoes before, and harsh words were something I have learned to disregard as nothing more than words, but now, I'm finding myself pushed to the limits of my patience. Nobody disrespects my Kaoru like this. She deserves better.

Kaoru's lips twitched. "I wouldn't touch you to scratch you, Kyosuke. Never have and I never will."

I found some comfort in her words, but just a little. He hadn't touched her physically, but I am yet to find out if she had anything emotional with him, which matters more. If that was the case, I am not too keen about any possibility of her rekindling anything with him, because yes, I am jealous. Jealous that he could immeasurably relate to what she had gone through and perhaps be able to help her the way I never could. I am being selfish, I know, and petty. But I have long since known how possessive I am of Kaoru. I can acknowledge that.

Kyosuke grinned and gave Kaoru a wink. "Frankly, I'm dying of curiosity. All those men wanting you in particular..."

Why, the no good...

Kaoru's face reddened angrily. "Don't you ever refer to any of that, H-Haruna!" She said with passion burning in her eyes. "I did nothing to pleasure those men in any way! If they liked pulling at my hair and beating me into submission, that's their trip, not mine!"

Oh koishii...no...those bastards!

"Easy on the jerk girl," the woman said in a somewhat compassionate tone.

Kyosuke snorted, leaning back on a standing desk. "Damn, girl. I thought we've gotten over those episodes. You weren't the only one raped out there. At least you have a pussy, so it didn't hurt much..."

I couldn't help myself. Rage came over me as I stepped forward and pulled out my sword, placing its tip gently on Kyosuke's throat. I'm not going to kill him, just threaten him. As Battousai I can be very good at it, and I intend to make him quail. My eyes are probably golden right now. I'm pissed to the high heavens. It's been compounding since Kaoru and I entered this godforsaken place, and now Kyosuke has nicked the last straw.

"K-Kenshin!" Kaoru gasped.

"Haruna," I said quietly as he froze and grew pale. "You will make no such references again. Not in any context, or I swear..."

"Er..." I heard the prostitute say, the rustle of her clothing audible as she shuffled towards the door in a hurry. "I have to go now. Bye!"

The western door slammed shut.

"K-Kenshin!" Kaoru hissed, clutching my arm desperately. "He isn't worth..."

"I know that, woman," I interrupted with deadly calm. "But there are places where I can hit him and shut him up for a week." My speech...it's gone Hitokiri as well. It couldn't be helped when I get this way. Not a hint of "sessha" anywhere. That's just fine. Battousai has always been more confident of himself.

"N-No need for anything like that, Himura..." Kyosuke stammered, slowly trying to inch away.

I jerked my sword a bit and he whimpered. Himura, he calls me. Pathetic.

I don't like him. If I hurt him, there's definitely no love lost. Damn bastard...

"Kenshin, please lower your sword," Kaoru told me in a gentle, swaying voice. "He'll apologize..."

"Then let's hear the apology," I growled, showing no mercy.

"I'm sorry, alright!" Kyosuke hastily said. "I'll never say anything like that again, but it's not like I never talked to her like that before..."

I glared at him and did not move. What does he take me for? His so-called apology is even more wretched.

"Kyosuke you idiot!" Kaoru admonished. "I ought to let him do with you as he pleases! What kind of an apology was that?"

"Okay! Okay!" Was his frantic response. "I was rude! I ought to wash my mouth with soap! I will never ever talk to her like that again, I promise! I promise! For God's sake! I'm nothing! Dirt, scum..."

"Go on," I told him with a cocked smile.

Kyosuke groaned miserably.

That will do.

I re-sheathed my sword and their breaths of relief prompted me to realize exactly what I had done. I blushed and gave Kaoru a shamefaced look. "Sessha apologizes as well, Kaoru...sessha does not like to hear other people disparaging you."

How quickly I go from Battousai to Rurouni these days. It wasn't as easy as that before, but I suppose Kaoru has that effect on me. I'm rather grateful for it.

Kyosuke scampered away from me. "G-gods..." He gasped, touching his throat and collapsing on the futon.

I blushed even more.

Kaoru sighed and gave me a weak smile. She patted my scarred cheek good-naturedly and then gave it an affectionate pinch.

Oro!

"Kyosuke deserved it anyway," she told me with a widening grin.

"Hey!" Kyosuke cried.

"Perv!" she told him loftily. "Those weren't better days, Kyosuke. I prefer that we not talk about it like some pretty little walk in the park."

A sour expression crossed Kyosuke's face. "Hey, I'm sorry if I offended your sensibilities, but I'll have you know that it's the way I deal with it. As you so pointedly told me, it ain't a walk in the park, so excuse me if I want to make light of it just so it ain't so heavy on my shoulders."

For a moment, I actually felt sorry for him. There was some measure of sense in what he said. People deal with their experiences in different ways. If getting over it meant for him to talk of it casually, then perhaps he shouldn't have been made to apologize for doing so. But then it occurred to me that he didn't have to force everyone else into his brutal therapy, most especially my Kaoru. It's quite apparent that whatever frankness she showed me on the subject of her feelings and past life, she shared only with me. I was certain that she had no intention to be so casual with everyone else, and on that conclusion, I will do everything in my power to keep anyone from forcing down the guards she had so carefully placed.

I have, in fact, proven my resolve by threatening Kyosuke without the slightest bit of mercy. Kaoru alone has the power to admit anyone through her emotional barriers, and while I'm around, I will let no one coerce her into giving up that right.

"Kyosuke-san, we came here to talk of other matters," I said, hoping to get the discussion started.

"Yes, and I'm sure you know what it is," Kaoru said, going primly to her knees and sitting on her heels.

I took my seat beside her and watched as Kyosuke settled a comfortable distance away from us.

"So, does this mean you're going with me to Yokohama?" He asked, clearly trying to calm his rattled nerves. I couldn't really see it. These...Shikeigai children are very good at hiding their emotions, but I could read ki, and his is telling me that he is desperately summoning his composure.

"Is it necessary that we all warn Banshio together?" Kaoru asked him. "If anyone found out that Kaoru Kamiya and Tenshio Kyosuke, who just both happened to be former Shikeigai sekkou, are travelling to meet yet another sekkou, what do you suppose will happen to us, hmm?"

Kyosuke rolled his eyes around. "Look smarty pants, I thought of that, but what are you gonna do, huh? You weren't planning on doing anything until I walked into your house yesterday."

I saw Kaoru's fist curling. That fist would have normally found its mark by now, but Kaoru was exerting monumental control on her temper. "Until you walked into my house, I was almost completely happy with my life and there was still a remote chance that my family would be safe, that I would die a quiet and uncomplicated death in some alley. But since you stupidly decided to contact me so blatantly, I am forced to do something about it because my entire family is now in danger! So excuse me if I'd appreciate a much better plan!"

Easy Kaoru. One of us has to keep our cool, ne? I have already lost mine earlier.

"Yeah well, biting my head off isn't helping," Kyosuke said loftily.

Kaoru turned to me with pleading eyes. "I wish he never walked into my house..." she told me miserably, as if Kyosuke himself wasn't there.

"Hey!" Kyosuke cried in protest.

I chuckled and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Kaoru..." I responded, gently reminding her to focus.

She gave a weary sigh then reverted her attention back to Kyosuke. "Fine. Kyo-chan, what are our objectives?"

I flinched a bit at the "Kyo-chan". So familiar with each other, these two...

Kyosuke frowned. "I should think you know that already."

"Mou! You're impossible!" Kaoru cried. "No, I don't know! What exactly do you hope to accomplish, Kyosuke? Find the killers, and then what? Kill them too? Have the cops haul 'em off? Or maybe we're just finding them so we can make their jobs easier!"

"Maa...Kaoru," I began in a soothing voice to temper hers that was already rising to higher levels. "It will be all right. I think we all agree that enough killing has occurred. Kyosuke-san?"

His ki jumped when I referred to him. Apparently, my earlier hostility of him is still fresh in his mind. "That is for certain, Battousai," he managed to say evenly. "We have to get to them before they get to us. Of course we'll let the police take care of them, provided they don't provoke us into defending ourselves and taking them out in the process."

A laugh, somewhat...less than lucid in its timber, rose from Kaoru. "Oh...no, no. I refuse! No more of that, Kyosuke...I've made so much progress..."

Kyosuke rolled his eyes around. "Look, it's not like we're certain to use that. I think you have another technique...wazzit called?"

"Kamiya Kasshin," Kaoru told him through pursed lips, the laughter gone from her eyes. "But do you realize how difficult it is not to resort to that other technique, Kyosuke? It's like an instinct clawing to get out. I will not let you put me, or Kenshin, in that situation."

What other technique? I can guess, but then they...she couldn't possibly have the same demons..."Kaoru, what are you talking about?" I finally asked.

Anxiety knotted her eyebrows. It was the same look she got of late every time she had to reveal a big secret. "Kyosuke, can you step out for a minute?"

Now Kyosuke looked extremely irritated. "I happen to be privy to your Bakumatsu habits-"

"It's not for me! It's for Kenshin! Now please!" Kaoru implored.

"Fine!" Kyosuke cried, rising to his feet. "Five minutes! Just five minutes and I'm coming back inside whether or not you're through talking to him."

Kaoru waved him off and nodded. He went to the door and stepped out of the room, closing us in. She then turned to me with troubled eyes.

I truly hope it's not as bad as it seems. "Tell me," I coaxed her gently.

Her gaze dropped to her fingers, which twitched inconsequentially. "The Ishin-Shikeigai agents were essentially just that, spies, but you have to understand that we were put in situations where we had to take...a less passive stance. We had to defend ourselves, and since the Ishinshishi thought we were near indispensable to the cause, they trained us to fight very effectively...and fatally, with cold-blooded detachment."

My stomach twisted. This sounds too familiar. Something I have heard before. Similar demons if not the same... "They taught you a killing technique," I concluded softly. "And it's so ingrained in you that..."

She nodded without lifting her eyes. "It's probably not as intense as your blood-lust Kenshin, but I have to fight mine down when the urge to defend is so strong. It doesn't matter if I'm defending myself or somebody else. The urge is the same."

How morbidly interesting. Now I know why she asked Kyosuke to leave the room. She had to mention my inner demons to make me understand hers. My urge to kill surfaces in extreme combat situations. Mostly when I am very, very angry. Not so much to defend myself, but more because I had been provoked. My goal is to slay, not necessarily to defend. For Kaoru, there is a slight distinction. Her so-called blood-lust is invoked because her instinct is to defend, to eliminate the threat. No wonder she is so determined to master Kamiya Kasshin. It is almost as if she is trying to diffuse that fatalistic instinct.

"With a sword, Kaoru?" I asked quietly.

This time, she shook her head. "No. Children are never given swords. Especially as spies, because that would make us suspicious. Waza Satsugai Sakibou."

Cat's Paw Killing Technique. Not a name as well known as my Mitsurugi, or Seta Soujiro's Tenken, yet I do not doubt its effectiveness to dispose of the opponent. In fact, its obscurity is its strength. The quietness of the Cat's Paw, so to speak. And if a child can use it to kill grown men, then it is nothing to take for granted. Cat's Paw originated from Ninpu: Ninja Arts, and it used pressure points to render a victim unconscious, however, when pressure is applied in vital points, like ones air passage, or certain parts of the spine...it becomes fatal. She did not even have to explain to me how the Ishinshishi managed to psyche the Shikeigai Sekkou to apply it fatally. They were children! So easy to manipulate. So easy to brainwash.

She finally looked up and grinned. "Kinda makes you realize why I can throw a punch exactly where it hurts, ne?"

I think she meant it to be funny. I suppose it should have been, but I wasn't quite in the mood to laugh. "Kaoru...those times with Gohei, Jin-eh, Kamatari, Amakusa Shogo and Enishi, you didn't lose control. You've fought it successfully as many times as I did."

Kaoru gave a sad chuckle. "Didn't you notice that with Gohei, I didn't let go of my bokken? Neither did I with Kamatari, no matter how pulverized it was. It was all I can do not to go on a rampage. Jin-eh caught me unaware, and he had me bound, hand and foot, before I can do anything. No hands, no Sakibou. I was taught to get loose of knots, but Jin-eh was as obsessive about binding as he was proving his strength, so those knots were just impossible to undo. With Shogo...well, he knocked you off a cliff. Can you guess why I was distracted?"

Quite. "And Enishi?"

A flush rose to her cheeks. "Well, he didn't exactly give me a reason to have to defend myself. But I tried a different method. By poisoning. The Ishinshishi taught us a lot about poisonous mushrooms just so we wouldn't make the mistake of eating it if we happened to get dumped or stationed in a forest. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of the concentrated stuff, you know, the mushrooms around the island? So I settled for what mushrooms I had and just recalled all my anti-cooking skills, which you gotta admit can be poisonous by itself. Besides, I was too pissed at him to give him an edible meal."

I blinked, and a chortle threatened to bubble out of my throat. She tried to poison him with her vile cooking! Knowing that she managed to make him eat the stuff is a hilarious thought! I could almost imagine the look on his face when he sampled it.

Finally, I laughed. "Oh Kaoru! Y-You didn't!" I cried.

"I did," she replied, her flush deepening in its shade. "But I didn't really want to kill him then. Just to give him a tummy ache or something."

I took a deep breath to regain control of myself. I was about ready to laugh my head off. I managed to control my mirth, but I could not erase the smile on my face. "It didn't affect him much if it did at all. He still fought like a healthy man."

She pouted. "Hey! I tried my best!"

"Sessha is not blaming you in the least." I said to soothe her. "Enishi was beaten, wasn't he? And sessha was prepared to fight him, whether or not he was ill."

The frown seemed to persist on her face. Apparently, she is very bothered by the failure of her poisoning efforts.

My lip twitched with a struggling guffaw. I tried to appease her again. "Maa...koishii-"

Oro! I had just called her by an endearment!

She stared at me, blinking in surprise. I stared back, and I could feel the heat already rising in my face. Maybe I could explain that little slip. I did not mean to shock her! Granted, it's what I really feel, but this isn't the time-

To my utter astonishment, a laugh broke out of her. "Good one, Kenshin! It's just what I needed to get me back on track. Thank you, 'beloved'!"

I forced a smile to my lips. She thought I was pretending. I don't know if I should be relieved or miserable.

The door behind me suddenly burst open and Kyosuke sauntered in.

"Are you done?" He asked, taking his seat in front of us. Kaoru was about to say something when Kyosuke continued. "Frankly, I don't care. I'm here, I've given you your five minutes and all I want to do is talk about what we're going to do next."

Kaoru pursed her lips.

I decided to get the discussion back on track. "Kyosuke-san, why do you think we should all go to Yokohama together? Kaoru is right. I think it best that Kaoru and I do some investigating while you warn Banshio by yourself."

Kyosuke frowned. "Fine. I'll go to Yokohama by myself, but we'll have to meet again, discuss what we've come up with. In the meantime, what will you two be doing?"

"We'll look into the other deaths and see if we could come up with some suspects," Kaoru replied.

Kyosuke scoffed and bobbed his chin out. "Why don't you go check on your friendly, neighborhood cop."

I raised an eyebrow. "Saitoh? Does he know about the Shikeigai?"

"Wouldn't put is past him," Kyosuke said.

Kaoru gave me a ponderous glance. "He does seem to have access to government skeletons, Kenshin. I'm not saying he's responsible for the deaths, but if someone is killing people off, he might know something."

I gave it a quick thought. Saitoh may be a wolf, but I hardly think him capable of covering his tracks deliberately. As a self-righteous bastard, he needs to broadcast. Sin, swift, slay, isn't it? Still, it bears merit. Mibu's Wolf certainly knows how to hold a grudge, and it would be consistent with his beliefs to get rid of the "brats" who played a big role in destroying the Shinsengumi. On the other hand, it would be prudent to assume that he is in no way responsible for the killings, and that he only knows something. "Kaoru, Saitoh will not be willing to volunteer any such information to us if he does know anything about this."

Kaoru chuckled. "We're not exactly going to knock on his office door and say, 'Pardon me, Saitoh, but do you think you can tell us something about the deaths of these people?' You know we're going to have to be...roundabout in our methods."

Again, I raised an eyebrow. Is she suggesting that we snoop around police headquarters?

She withered at my gaze. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Kenshin. Saitoh is a remote possibility. I don't even think he did it..."

"How can you say that?" Kyosuke asked. "He's the quintessential Shinsen. Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if he's the one who's been arranging all this."

"Then Nakagura Shinpachi's just as much of a suspect as he is," Kaoru pointed out.

Nakagura. Leader of the 2nd Shinsen Gumi squad. I believe he wrote that book Jitsureki dan about his experiences as a member of the Shinsengumi. He is the only other living Shinsen I know of aside from Saitoh, which is probably why Kaoru said what she did.

"Nakagura's been in Hokkaido these past few years," Kyosuke said. "I think he's been occupied in research and I seriously doubt he has the time to plot revenge. Unless you want to go all the way to Hokkaido and enjoy the freezing climate..."

"And where did you get that information?" Kaoru inquired in astonishment.

Kyosuke waved a hand to render her question negligible and grinned. "Kaoru-baby, you could be such an idiot sometimes. Don't you get it? I've got reliable sources. Now don't go asking another stupid question like that."

I saw Kaoru rising a bit from her seat and prepping her fist for a wallop at Kyosuke's face. "Maa...maa..." I said, putting my arms around her to keep her from attacking.

"Just one, Kenshin. Just one!" Kaoru said through grit teeth.

I held her down firmly and smiled in my rurouni way. "No need for that. Sessha will take care of him if he continues to be a jerk." I turned to give Kyosuke my innocent gaze. "Ne, Kyosuke-san?"

He stared at me curiously, then realization dawned in his eyes. He gulped. "I was just kidding, Kaoru. Can't you take a joke? Hehe..."

Kaoru relaxed and I let her go. I knew Kyosuke would get the hint. I didn't have to tell him that I didn't like it when he called Kaoru names either.

"Since we're on the subject of suspects," I continued. "Is there anyone else alive and able who know of your existence?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Maybe a few members of Yasushige's family, but that's only a hunch."

A worthy possibility. Even if I don't know Anenokoji Yasushige's family, I know enough about name structures to recognize the mark of the elite in its syllables. Elite families during the Bakumatsu were more often than naught privy to the workings of either the government in power, or its enemies.

Kaoru frowned. "And then there's...but I don't think he'd...no. We don't even know if he's still alive..."

That perked my attention. "Yes?"

She looked at Kyosuke, as if to ask him if whatever she was going to say was even worth mentioning.

Kyosuke nodded.

"Katsura Kogoro..." Kaoru finished quietly.

My eyes widened. Katsura-sama...the very man who recruited me into the Ishinshishi. He knew? Well, I suppose he ought. He shared the responsibility in the success of the restoration, but I could hardly believe he would authorize the use of children for the war. It cannot be! Oh, but war has been known to bring out the worse in men... "Did he authorize the formation of the Shikeigai?" I asked, extremely disturbed.

Kaoru shook her head. "No. Sakamoto Ryoma did..."

All these names straight from the Bakumatsu. I feel like I'm living a nightmare. Sakamoto was one of Katsura-sama's closest and most trusted friends during that time of war. He was instrumental to the restoration...in more ways than one. That much is currently apparent.

"Before he was assassinated, he wanted to make sure that the Shikeigai would continue to exist as long as necessary. He was afraid his death, which was entirely possible being the man he was, would mean the end of the Shikeigai," Kaoru explained. "We all know Katsura was the only person he trusted, and by the time Katsura found out about the Shikeigai, he couldn't very well put a stop to it without putting all the insiders at risk. He did try to ease us out of service, but circumstances wouldn't let him, and when Sakamoto died, all he could do for us was make sure we weren't killed on the job."

She took my hand and squeezed it gently. I think she sensed my disapproval of Katsura.

"He had no choice, Kenshin," Kaoru told me. "And the best thing he could do at the time was not to abandon us."

I gave her a small smile. Did she know me so well that I needed no words to express such matters to her? I will always appreciate her for it. Perhaps I shouldn't judge Katsura-sama. Maybe it was as Kaoru said. He had no choice. But I find it hard to believe that amidst the chaos of war, he wasn't able to do something. What could be so difficult about removing children from harm's way?

Kyosuke crossed his arms over his chest and snorted in derision. "We really are skeletons in the closet. Imagine how it would look on Katsura's pristine record if someone, particularly a Shikeigai brat, came out with the shocking news that he consented to the existence of something so terrible. Shocking! For a man so known to be protective of the lives of the innocent. Not to mention the fact that it just might taint the good name of Sakamoto."

A stubborn look blanketed Kaoru's face. "No! I will not believe that Katsura has anything to do with these deaths! We all know he's a good man! And for goodness sake, no one has heard of him for at least a couple of years. He may very well be dead!"

I put a hand on Kaoru's shoulder to stay her. She looked at me in astonishment.

"We cannot discount the fact that he may be alive and that he knows about the Shikeigai," I said in a quiet voice.

She gasped. "Kenshin!"

Painful as it is for me to suspect my former master, it needs considering. Kaoru is more important to me than any man whom I deem worthy of my respect. For Kaoru, I will give up anything. "I will go to Chosu, and if he is alive, I will talk to him."

Kyosuke grimaced. "Talk to him? Jeez! Whatever! If he has anything to do with this, don't you think it best he doesn't know somebody is on the case?"

"Katsura Kogoro, if he is still alive, deserves to know I am investigating the case." I told him calmly. "I'm sure you can figure out why, Kyosuke-san so I will not go into further explanations. As for my methods, I encourage you not to question them."

He said nothing more out loud, but I could see him grumbling to himself with a scowl.

"What time's your train leaving, Kyosuke?" Kaoru asked him.

"Noon," Kyosuke replied. "I'll send word of my return so we can meet up again. Are you going to be looking into Miyori's death as well? She did die of disease after all, and it's been a while since it happened."

A small smile pulled at the corners of Kaoru's mouth. "Now who's the idiot?"

Kyosuke shrugged a shoulder. "Well, yeah sure she married into the family, but it's not even certain that the guy's Shinpachi's son."

Did I miss something here? I gave Kaoru a questioning glance.

"Miyori married Daisuke, the rumored bastard son of Shinpachi," Kaoru explained. "It was never confirmed that he was Shinpachi's, but he took the name Nakagura anyway. Miyori met Daisuke when she was stationed with Nakagura's patrol. Touching love story, ne?"

Intriguing, maybe. "Is Daisuke-san still alive?" I asked.

"Yes," Kyosuke replied. "I suppose you could ask him some questions. Wouldn't hurt."

Indeed. All bases should be covered.

Kaoru looked to the sky through the window. The rays of the sun streamed abundantly through the opening in defiance of the white clouds. "It's almost lunch, Kenshin. We should be heading back to the dojo, or the kids will get suspicious."

I chuckled. Kids. I suppose she meant to include Sano in her list. A fair description of the gangster who refused to take a job to support himself.

I got up from the floor. "Then let's go," I replied, extending my hand to assist Kaoru to her feet. "Though they're probably suspicious enough as it is."

She cocked me a smile and took the hand I offered with her own. Standing up, she dusted the front of her kimono with delicate flicks of her hand. I resisted the urge to help in the dusting. There was no way I can fit my compulsion to clean into that obvious attempt to touch her. Besides, holding her hand is just as pleasant.

I noticed Kyosuke staring at me observantly, but I ignored him.

"Excuse us, Kyosuke-san," I said, giving him a bow. Kaoru did the same rather hesitantly.

He raised an eyebrow and stood up as well to return the courtesy.

Kaoru and I turned to head for the door. When we stepped out, Kyosuke called our attention for the last time.

"Kaoru-chan...there are people who...can't let go of the Bakumatsu. Don't let the peace fool you," he said in a sad voice.

Neither of us said anything after that. Kaoru simply gave him a two-second stare and then nudged me to leave with her.

As much as I'd hate to agree with Kyosuke, the man is right.

I peeled my gaze away from Kaoru's face and caught Sano and Yahiko snatching their eyes from me. It was as if all of a sudden, they had taken a strange obsession with their rice bowls and the food they were gobbling down. They have been silently squinting at either Kaoru or me from their lunch places and it was getting rather unnerving. I have no doubts that it had something to do with Kaoru's new revelations, but they seemed to be biding their time. I didn't realize ten quiet minutes in a room with any of them could feel like two hours.

Kaoru ate calmly. Occasionally, she would fill emptying plates with variants from the serving dishes like a big sister would for her little brothers. I rather like the idea of her putting pieces of teriyaki on my plate like a loving wife would do for a husband, but that would be wishful thinking.

It took another five minutes before Kaoru gently laid down her bowl and chopsticks to address the two children. "Alright, that's it," she said in an even voice. "Sano, Yahiko, is there a problem? Do I have food on my face or something? Kenshin looks fine, so it must be me. Please tell me and save me the humiliation of finding it out for myself!"

That's one way of putting it.

"Hey!" Yahiko cried, a bit of rice shooting out of his mouth. "Kenshin's been staring at you too! Why don't you bitch at him?"

Oro! The child can be so unbelievably tactless at times! I merely sat watching the scene, blinking several times to see how Kaoru would react to what he said.

Kaoru sighed. "Never mind him. He has a lot on his mind! Could you just please tell me what's bothering you two?"

Sano spoke with his mouth still full. "Apart from the fact that you cooked this fabulously delicious meal? Well, frankly it's that you two left this morning supposedly so eager to buy groceries but came back with a cheap-ass bucket of tofu. You were gone the whole morning and you come back with half a pop of soybean squares? Yahiko and I were there when that Kyosuke guy gave Kenshin his address. Give us some credit here!" He bawled rather irritably. "Since you're lying and all, the least you could have done was add sake to your grocery list!"

"Sano, tofu and sake don't exactly go together, you know, " Kaoru said nonchalantly. "They make this awful combination in your stomach..."

Sano scowled. "Jou-chan, you know damn well what I mean!"

"And don't change the subject!" Yahiko added.

Relentless, aren't they? Well, I have never known them to give up without a fight.

"Mou!" Kaoru exclaimed. "What's wrong with tofu?" She asked, obviously still trying to be evasive.

"Maa...Sanosuke, Kaoru-dono and I did go to the market as evidenced by the tofu..."

"Dammit Kenshin! We know that. Where else could you have gotten the f&%king tofu!" Sano somewhat yelled.

Yahiko tousled his own hair in frustration. "Could we like, let go of the tofu issue for cryin' out loud? Where did you and ugly go this morning, aside from the market? You went to Kyosuke, didn't you!"

I chuckled. Tofu indeed.

Kaoru grinned. "We went to Tae's."

Well, that is still the truth. We passed by the Akebeko just before we headed for home to get some miso to add to our lunch.

"What for?" Yahiko insisted, a frown still knotting his brow.

Kaoru stifled a laugh and replied. "To get a recipe for tofu."

"Aaaarghhhh!" Yahiko cried through clenched teeth.

I burst out in laughter with Kaoru while Yahiko fumed and Sano slapped a palm to his face. The recipe was a lie, but it's a rather funny one, at that.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," Kaoru explained to me, chortling.

"Tell us already!" Yahiko whined, bouncing slightly on his seat. "It ain't fair! We know it's about that spy thing busu's involved in and we want to help!"

"Yeah Jou-chan," Sano seconded. "We're family, dammit! We stick it out for each other no matter what!"

Kaoru smiled, maintaining her composure under the harsh conditions. "That's sweet, but I really don't want you getting involved in this. I even attempted, in my own pathetic way, not to drag Kenshin into the matter, but you know how the rurouni gets..."

I flashed my disarmingly innocent smile again. As long as I am around, there is no way I would let her put herself in danger without me guarding her back.

Yahiko jutted his chin out. "Well then, we insist-"

"No," Kaoru simply interrupted him, calmly picking up her bowl and chopsticks to resume eating.

"Hey!" Sano complained. "Yahiko-chan wasn't done-"

"No," she said again, cutting him off as well.

I could see Sano turning red in the face. "If you'll just-" "Who you calling 'chan', rooster head?" Yahiko yelled at the ex-gangster.

"What! Rooster head! I'll show you-!"

The two of them rolled gradually out of the room in a cloud of dust as they amazingly preserved the virtue of their respective rice bowls. Through it all, Kaoru primly continued with her lunch, grinning at me like she hadn't a care in the world.

Personally, I think Sano could be depended on for help, plus, he is a grown man who can very well take care of himself, but then, I can bring that up later, when things aren't as chaotic. Right now, I can sit here all day, enjoying the smiles Kaoru flashed from her lips.

Flowers, I think, would make me deserving of those smiles...


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

I hope you're liking this so far. I'm really putting a lot of research into the names and dates just so it's not so much, "Wha-? Where did he come from?" I seriously want this to work. I hope it does.

Standard disclaimers apply. "Rurouni Kenshin" (c) Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shuiesha, Shounen Jump, and Sony. I do not own RK, pray as I might, every night, it just wouldn't happen that way.

More disclaimers. I would just like to say that although I will be mentioning (and have mentioned) a lot of people who actually existed in Meiji Japan, my account of their lives and personalities are all fictional, except for what I say is true and actual in my closing Author's Notes. Please, no one sue me for libel.

On with the distortion.

**Chapter Three**

**THE SPY**

My eyes flew open in the dimness of dawn. Sweat poured from my brow and body, dampening my pillow and the soft robe I had slept in. My breathing was heavy and I had my sheets crumpled in the desperate grasps of my fists.

Effin' A! Another one of those damn nightmares to greet the oh-so-wonderful day ahead. Just your standard blood and gore, bodies with their guts spilling out of their bowels, can't do anything about it because I'm frozen in place…basic stuff.

I groaned to myself and pulled the blanket over my head wearily. Just somebody please decapitate me and put me out of my effing misery…PLEASE!

'Course, the rurouni wouldn't let it happen. Over his dead body-

Ugh! Wrong choice of words!

Kenshin would go Battousai ten times over before he lets anything bad happen. He gets that way with all of us, me especially, I think. It would be stupid of me to say that Kenshin didn't consider me special. Best friends tend to be like that, and he's more protective of me because, yes, I'm a girl.

Hmph! These men…really! Appointing themselves protectors of their womenfolk to unreasonable and macho degrees.

Well, Kenshin isn't really the I'm-So-Strong-So-Keep-Your-Hands-Off-My-Girlfriend Type, but he sure showed a lot of sword-muscle yesterday when Kyosuke ran off at the mouth about my…ahem, "womanly" body parts.

Goodness! I gotta admit, when he goes all golden-eyed because of something or other, I find him utterly frightening and terribly attractive. The way his gaze darts from the amber slits of his eyes, and the way his speech pattern shifts from his polite rurouni chime to an edged, baritone drawl…oh me. Be still my heart.

I chuckled to myself. Fantasizing about your best friend now, Kaoru baby? Get off it, girl. Kenshin's a nice guy, a sexy one at that, but…you and men…don't bet your kenjutsu on it.

Of course, those flowers he gave me yesterday afternoon totally blew me away. He's never done anything like that before, except maybe for that time he thought he was apologizing for that Ring-In-the-Catfish fiasco.

He said the flowers were for my smile, whatever that meant. I thought of asking him to expound, but then he had that clueless rurouni grin on his face that just fumbled my thought processes, and before I had gathered my senses, he had turned and walked off to do some more cleaning. He's such a strange man…

A sigh escaped me. Get a life, Kamiya.

Pushing back the sheets, I decided to crawl out of bed.

It's so early. Even Kenshin's probably not up yet.

Rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes, I drowsily changed into my training clothes and padded out of my room.

The sky was still rather dark, but a hazy pale glow was already peeping out from the horizon. Dew and morning chill wafted through the air, marking the newness of the day.

Seems like a good day to die.

Mou! Where did that come from? The last time I gave beans about that thought was years ago, when I had just woken up in the bed of the enemy, abused in all possible ways. I think I was eleven…well, it hardly matters anymore…

All these recent killings, secrets revealed, my past catching up on me…I've seen worse, but then, I didn't have to deal with it under these circumstances before, just when a normal life seemed possible.

Ah, Kaoru-baby, don't be such a quitter. It isn't all that bad.

In spite of everything, my friends, the very same ones I find within myself to call family, have chosen to stick by me. I love them all dearly for it. I cannot let anything happen to them, but in their bullheaded, persistent way, I know they'll stick their noses into this business.

Kenshin, of course, has already put his foot down. No big surprise, I tell you. There's still a teeny-weeny possibility that Yahiko and Sano would be kept out of it, but it's so minute that I can hardly see it.

I'm even willing to bet that Kenshin would have Sano on the case quite extensively. It's just like Kenshin to trust the Zanza more than he trusts me.

Shaking my head, I made my way to the dojo. I have to buffer up on my Kamiya Kasshin. Beat it into my system, so to speak. The Sakibou…it's been crawling out of my skin lately, more than ever. That stupid Kyosuke almost used it on me the other day, which of course provoked me to almost use it on him, but then, we both regained control of our senses. It shouldn't ever be used again, but the Bakumatsu memories are relentlessly buffeting my emotions.

Meditation, focus, that's what I need. If I want to live through this with my sanity intact, I'll need all the mental strength I can manage.

I looked over my shoulder from the steps leading to the dojo and regarded the stillness of the house. Kenshin will most probably be up in a few minutes to do the morning rituals. Funny how he likes being the maid around the house. The concept is so far gone from what he did before that I've long realized why he insists on doing the lady-in-waiting bit. It's so he could shy away from Battousai as far as he possibly could. Take on a totally opposite polar, hoping to completely annihilate the Hitokiri inside him. But we both know that's impossible. Right now, we refuse to live in the past, insisting on joining this new age of peace by burying our past selves alive. I don't know if it does us better or worse.

We are who we are. I, of all people, understand that.

We'll just have to wait and see, ne Kenshin? Live our lives by the day, ne Kenshin?

And maybe, in the future, we can see what's ahead of us unhampered by the spirits that torment us, and dream something more than just the need to survive.

I swung with resolute precision, ignoring the ache in my arms, never minding that stars were beginning to flash in my line of vision. I could barely breathe from the effort, but I didn't give a f&%k if I passed out trying to complete this. I'll get this Kamiya Kasshin down pat even if it kills me! I will make it my first instinct, damn it!

The Sword that Protects. Bump off that terrible Waza satsugai sakibou for goodness sakes! I've been training on my father's kenjutsu for years and years…why wouldn't the sakibou go away? Why?

"Aaaaargh!" I yelled, slamming my bokken against a beam. The pillar was too hard and the swing too haphazard to create any damage on my property. The bokken twisted out of my hands, snapping my wrist painfully when it tried to absorb the impact. My weapon clattered to the floor, and I hissed, the aching tingle rippling from wrist to arm. I sank to my knees, clutching at my injury and gasping for lost air.

Closing my eyes to ward off the white flashes of exhaustion, I stayed my dizziness by leaning my forehead against the beam. I growled a curse to myself then stupidly added to my misery by bumping my head slightly against the wood, over and over, eyes screwed shut and teeth grit in frustration.

Punishment? Probably.

I suddenly felt a firm grip on both my shoulders and heard a gently intoned, "Stop," from behind me.

Opening my eyes and craning my neck, I saw Kenshin giving me an anxious stare. Mou! He was so quiet I didn't even hear him enter the dojo! Either that or I was so absorbed in my wretchedness that nothing else in my surroundings registered.

I sighed and said nothing, but I did hold still, taking the time to compose myself.

His hand slid slowly down my arm and for a moment, I was spellbound with wonder at what he might do next. It stopped at my wrist and he gently pried it from the confines of my other hand.

"Let me see," he simply said, assisting me to turn around on my seat.

I managed to chuckle as I scooted to face him. What did I think he was going to do? "It's nothing, Kenshin. It's just a little strained. Nothing that won't go away in a few minutes."

His thumb pressed gentle circles on my pulse spot, easing to the bump of my bone then the back of my wrist. "Kaoru, I do not recall Kamiya Kasshin to be so wild," he said quietly, a small smile turning up the corners of his lips.

The massage was strangely…intimate, though only our hands touched, and I blushed at my thoughts. This is definitely a result of my dawn musings.

Oh, get a grip, Kaoru-baby!

Watching our hands, I grinned. "Kamiya Kasshin secret technique. It's used only when ones opponent happens to be a support beam. Very obscure," I joked, hoping it would lighten the odd atmosphere.

Kenshin chuckled a bit and looked up at me, continuing his light caress. "Indeed. Support beams are very vicious. It was just standing there and already it gave you a sore wrist and a bruised forehead. Imagine what it can do if it actually moved."

"Probably bring the whole damn dojo down on me," I muttered, half meaning it.

"Probably," he agreed, meeting my eyes with an expression of fondness. "Are you alright now?"

Not by a long shot. "Peachy," I replied with flawless ease.

I could tell he saw right through my lie, but he said nothing more. He merely raised an eyebrow, almost in amusement, and then nodded tolerantly, like an adult would do with a child.

He let go of my wrists to get to his feet. "Come downstairs for something to drink. You look like you could use a break," he said, flashing his rurouni smile. "Sessha has some cold lemon tea ready."

No matter how many times he does that I-Know-You're-Lying-But-I'll-Just-Smile-About-It bit, I can never get used to it. It always makes me feel like coming undone at the seams. I remember reading about Reverse Psychology as prescribed text for our Shikeigai training. Kenshin knows his mental mumbo-jumbo, but I think his use of Reverse Psychology is by far one of his best tricks. Gets me almost all the time. Though I'm not certain if it was really the Psychology or just plain brevity on his part that makes it so easy for him to make me buckle down and blabber.

"Kenshin," I called out, getting up but not following.

He looked over his shoulder at me innocently.

The sneak.

"Yes?" He chimed.

"Is it always this hard for you? I mean…" I desperately needed words. "To keep it from clawing its way out of you?"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, then he nodded. "Always."

"How do you deal with it then?" I asked, my hands unconsciously clutching at the sleeves of my gi.

I could see him cocking a smile from where I stood, then he turned to look at me. "I remember that I am no longer alone."

A tiny smile crept up my lips. There you have it, plain and simple.

I rushed up to Kenshin and took his hand, my grin spreading.

He returned the grin with one of his own and we headed back to the house.

I had just finished my morning bath when I saw Yahiko padding out of his room to start the day. It was quite late by this house's standards, but it was the weekend, and I allowed Yahiko to lounge around on weekend mornings. Sano had just arrived himself, ready to do his usual mooching.

We were about to enjoy Kenshin's breakfast spread when an unwelcome guest walked through the gate.

"Isn't it a bit too early for wolves?" Yahiko muttered, watching Saitoh's uniformed figure approaching us from the path.

Sano's lip curled in distaste. "I'm almost losing my appetite."

I chuckled. "Almost," I said to him, then I turned to Saitoh since it was obvious that even Kenshin would not honor the police officer with a greeting. "Good morning, Saitoh-san. How may we be of service to you?" Your most gracious Royal Pain In the Ass…

Saitoh pulled a cigarette from his breast pocket and placed the tip of the sliver between his lips before replying. "Just some questions," he said, pulling out a packet of matches to light his cigarette with. "Something I'm doing for a friend of mine in Aizu. Cop to cop favor, you know."

My heart skipped a beat. Aizu. That's where Kyosuke came from. Oh, don't tell me…don't tell me he knows we are…yet I had been expecting something like this after all. Does he…recognize me? He never did before. He never showed any signs that he knew I was the little Naoko whom he took pleasure in beating up back then.

I kept my cool perfectly, showing none of my inward panic, but I could say nothing.

Relief spread over me when Kenshin took over the discussion. I'm sure he had sensed my unease, and he was quick to react.

"Saitoh," Kenshin began, raising his cup of tea for a sip. "We are in the middle of breakfast. Can't this wait?"

Ah, the rurouni never did venture to make an effort to like him. Battousai hating Saitoh was a given, but it was still odd to see the rurouni so annoyed by anyone, even if it was Mibu's Wolf.

"No," Saitoh said without batting an eyelash. He took a puff, smoke blossoming from his mouth and nostrils. "There isn't any real urgency, but I have better things to do than meander on favors. You understand."

Sano and Yahiko raised their eyebrows in my direction. Damn! Those two are terribly obvious!

Kenshin kept impeccable composure. "Then please do keep this short."

Saitoh gave a nonchalant gesture. "Somebody owes my friend money. That fool friend of mine lost the idiot who borrowed from him before he could demand payment. Said the guy was a gambler."

"Hey, Sano! Somebody from Aizu's after you," I joked in an attempt to mask the turmoil building up inside me. I was thankful that Yahiko had the nerve to laugh with me. Stupid Kyosuke! Gambling now? Oh, I'll giving him an earful when I seen him again!

Sano frowned. "Jeez, Jou-chan! It ain't funny!"

Saitoh gave me a glare. "I do not appreciate your silliness, Tanuki-chan."

"Touché," I said, letting a bit of Western lingo slip out. Predictably, Sano's and Yahiko's brows knotted in befuddlement. My ease with foreign languages goes with my genius. No big thing, considering the application of my genius has given me more trouble than what it's worth.

"This is Kaoru-dono's home," Kenshin said to Saitoh loftily. "She may conduct herself in any way she wants."

Saitoh responded to the reproach with another cloud of smoke, then he went on. "My friend's looking for a man named Tenshio Kyosuke. My people told me he came by here the other day."

My heart was beating like anything, and I could already feel the effort of my smile. "Kyo-chan? Gambler, you say?" I said with ease. "He's an old friend of mine. Goodness, who'd have thought?"

"Did he say where he was headed?" Saitoh asked me evenly with his poker face.

I shook my head. "Nope, not really. He did say he was touring Japan, for whatever that's worth."

"How big are his debts that you would do this service for your friend?" Kenshin asked.

I picked up what Kenshin was getting at. Since when had Saitoh taken to debt collection? And for a friend too. There's more to it than that. Sounded more like a manhunt for something else, something Saitoh-esque.

Saitoh cocked a smile and looked away nonchalantly. "Considerable."

He did not care to expound.

The officer took one last long drought of his cigarette then disposed of it on my clean front lawn. Oh, what a pig! I ought to tell him to pick it up and dispose of it properly! "If that's all you can tell me, then I suppose I have to go. Thanks for nothing."

"Anytime, Saitoh," Kenshin returned calmly.

Saitoh turned to leave but then he seemed to have an afterthought. "If you decide to remember anything important…"

Hmph! Sarcastic son of a bitch.

"…you'll have to tell my assistant in the police station. I'll be gone for a couple of days," he finished.

"Where to, Saitoh-san?" I asked him, unable to keep the genuine curiosity from the tone of my voice.

"None of your business," he replied gruffly, striding off without a backward glance.

Mou! I always knew Saitoh to be exceptionally rude, but every single time he acts like an asshole, it feels like meeting him for the first time!

"What the hell was that all about?" Sano asked as soon as Saitoh's slim form disappeared beyond the gate.

I picked up my breakfast bowl and looked at them calmly. "Saitoh being a nuisance, that's what," I told him.

Yahiko crossed his arms over his chest and sulked. "And he just had to leave a mess," he said, eyeing the stray cigarette with distaste.

Well, if there's one thing Yahiko learned from me, it's cleanliness.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow in my direction for a split second but said nothing. He understood perfectly well that I didn't want either of the boys getting into this mess. A futile attempt, I'm sure, but I want to make it clear to all of them that I am absolutely adamant against putting them in danger.

Sano gave me a suspicious squint. "You mean you don't care about what happens to that Kyosuke guy?"

I scoffed believably. "Mou! Why should I? You heard what Saitoh said. He's nothing but trouble."

"Come on, Jou-chan. I know you and Kenshin went to see him yesterday," Sano insisted. "Are you trying to figure out who's killing off the Shikeigai?"

Doesn't take a genius to figure that out in this household, but I can still try to fend him off. "Don't make that your problem, Sanosuke. It's being taken cared of."

"I'll talk to Kenshin some other time about it then," Sano said, picking up his chopsticks to begin gobbling down breakfast.

I scowled and turned to Kenshin for help. The rurouni merely smiled and partook of the onigiri.

Mou! Stubborn! The lot of them!

Yahiko was about to contribute something to the discussion but I cleanly cut him off by saying, in my Shikeigai slur, "Eat your breakfast, kid. I ain't in the mood."

That shut him up real fast.

"Kaoru, Sano will check up on us in the clinic for sure. There is no use lying to him," Kenshin told me as I dragged him clear across town right towards Kyosuke's inn.

I sighed to myself. He's been saying things like that for the past fifteen minutes, about how Sano's old enough to know what he's doing, about how Sano is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, about how Sano can be dependable when it really matters…it's apparent the rurouni wants to enlist the Zanza's help. Now Kenshin's telling me how useless my lie about going to the clinic is because the rooster head would find out for himself whether or not we were indeed there.

Quickening my pace, I tried to ignore him. I'm beginning to wish I hadn't brought him with me. "It's almost eleven, Kenshin," I said. "If we want to catch Kyosuke in his quarters, we better hurry up."

He said nothing in response as he kept pace with me. When I peeked at his face, I saw an amused grin playing on his lips.

Really! The lot of these men think they can get away with anything!

When we got to the inn, I didn't even bother to stop at the front desk. I went straight to the staircase, climbed it and pushed through the throng of perverts littering the hallway.

Kyosuke's door was partway open and I thought maybe he had already gone, but peering through the crack of the door, I saw Kyosuke putting on the finishing touches to his minimal luggage: One travelling bag and some books with Western print that said "Romans" on its spine.

I sighed in relief. "Kyo-chan…"

"Hey, Kaoru-baby," he said mildly, stuffing some things into his bag. "I was just about to head to your dojo. Came to see me off? How sweet."

I ignored his sarcastic tone and stepped squarely into the room. "What the hell have you been doing in Aizu? Saitoh came this morning asking about your whereabouts! Sez you're indebted to someone." I yelled.

Kenshin stepped up behind me and placed a soothing hand on my shoulder. I guess I should calm down. No real use fighting with Kyosuke again.

Kyosuke paled and his eyes widened. "He did? Debts? What the hell is Saitoh's…damn those mobsters!"

This is just perfect. "And why, may I ask, is Saitoh looking for you?" I wasn't about to buy Saitoh's story just like that. I wanted to hear it from Kyosuke. "And mobsters? What in the world…?"

Kyosuke sighed and gathered his stuff, indicating that he was ready to head out of his room. "I don't know what Saitoh's business is on this, but the only one I'm indebted to in Aizu is this loan shark…"

I frowned, my gaze following Kyosuke as he pushed passed me and Kenshin to get to the hallway. "A loan shark? You're cavorting with criminals now? Kyosuke, you idiot!"

Kyosuke rolled his eyes around. "Look, I don't consider them criminals, just…those who help gamblers in need, but with rather stiff interest rates and…collection methods."

Collection methods. Yeah, like busting your caps if you can't pay. I groaned. "You are a gambler. Kyosuke, you're such a moron…on top of everything else…"

He frowned himself, looking at me as if he were annoyed. Annoyed! The nerve of him! "Anyway, I don't see how that's any of your concern," he said.

"It is when Saitoh thinks we're harboring you, Kyosuke-san," Kenshin told him as we both fell in step with Kyosuke.

Kenshin didn't sound pleased. I could just imagine him getting annoyed with Kyosuke because he had managed to drag us all into more than one predicament.

Struggling through the throng with his cargo, Kyosuke grunted in effort while he spoke. "It's not my fault, you know. What does he want from me, exactly?"

"He came up with this yarn that he was doing his friend a favor by looking for you," I said, following Kyosuke down the flight of stairs. "He said you were indebted to his friend."

Kyosuke scoffed. "Yeah, right. Saitoh's friends with the mob now? How totally believable."

I gave Kenshin a ponderous stare and the slight tilt of his head was the only response he made to indicate that we were probably thinking the same thing. We both had to admit that Kyosuke had a point. What is Saitoh up to?

"Umm…" Kyosuke began while he settled his tab with the inn. "Are you sure you guys don't want to go with me to Yokohama?"

Kenshin spoke before I did. "You've been wanting us to go since the other day. Why should we go?"

Kyosuke tried for a nonchalant shrug. "Oh well…since I intend to warn Banshio of this thing, I thought maybe we'd ask for his help too. 'Cause you know, we could use an extra head, and he wasn't chosen to be a Shikeigai sekkou for being stupid, right? The guy's just as brainy as the rest of us…"

I raised an eyebrow. "And?" I prompted him.

He continued being off-handedly casual. "I figured if I'm going to convince him, it would be wise to employ Kaoru to do the job because he kinda had a crush on her when we were little."

Kenshin was a little taken aback, but I groaned and slapped a hand to my forehead.

"That was such a lame ass lie I ought to kill you myself," I said in disgust. "Try again."

Kyosuke gave a sigh. "Fine. You want the truth? I'll give you the truth. I have word from my sources that Gen-ichi, you know, the loan shark I was telling you about…he's kinda trailing me, so…"

Now that sounded more like Kyosuke. A rat and a user.

I heard Kenshin sigh. "You need bodyguards…" he concluded wearily.

That brightened Kyosuke's mood considerably because Kenshin had said it for him. "Not just any bodyguard! Himura Battousai! Man, the moment they realize who you are, they wouldn't come near me with a ten foot pole!"

Taking Kenshin by the arm, I hastened to leave Kyosuke behind. "Forget it! Kyosuke, you haven't changed a goddamn bit!" I cried, heading for the exit.

I could hear Kyosuke scrambling to get his business done to follow us, but I didn't even stop to look back.

"The nerve of that idiot!" I hissed as Kenshin and I stepped out of the hotel. "It wasn't even me he was hoping to use, it was you!"

Kenshin chuckled and secured my grip on his arm with the gentle clasp of his hand. "Maa…the man fears for his life after all…"

"Like I care!"

"I think you do, actually," he said ponderously.

I gave a start of surprise at his words, and when I looked at him, I could have sworn that for a split second, his eyes took on an amber hue, and then the gold was gone. It was so quick that now I'm not even sure if it was there at all. "What?" I demanded. What did he mean by that?

"Kaoru," he began in a slightly amused tone. "No matter how much you deny it, you consider him your friend. Especially because he had been there during one of the most trying times of your life. And you always care about friends, one way or another, ne?"

I stayed speechless, his words striking me. Was that how he perceived me? Or more importantly, is that how I am? It almost sounded as if I'm…a nice person.

Snapping myself out of my reverie, I shook my head. He only thinks I'm a nice person. I'm not! I'm a bitch, with a disgusting past! "Whatever Kenshin!" I said emphatically. "I won't let him use you!"

"Perhaps sessha is just concerned that if something happens to him, it would mean that the danger is closer to my Kaoru," he said quietly, smiling at me slightly while I felt his hand caress mine.

His words just astonished me even more. His Kaoru?

I felt a tingle…argh! No! Men and their devices!

"Are you saying we should go with him?" I asked, looking away with a grim expression on my face.

"Sessha is saying it might be wise to protect those on your side in this affair," he replied sagely. "We will need all the help we could get."

It was unnerving to realize the wisdom of his words. I tried the last shot in my footlocker. "I thought you said you didn't like it that Saitoh thinks we're harboring him…"

"We cannot change what Saitoh thinks. He already believes we are harboring Kyosuke. It could not get any worse than that unless we let it get worse," he said.

Well, that's moot.

Kenshin is right. I am somewhat of a softie. And that ought to be a good thing.

Kyosuke came bounding up to us, struggling to preserve the virtue of his books and bag from the muck on the ground. "So you're just going to let me do this alone? Just let me get killed by a bunch of thugs?" He cried rather desperately. "Frankly, I'd rather be killed by the Shikeigai hunters. It would be more honorable that way."

Gritting my teeth, I glared at him. "Quit the drama, Tenshio. We're going with you, but you're going to have to reschedule your ride. Kenshin and I have to pack, you know."

Kyosuke's face broke out in a smile. "Great! I feel safer already! I'll leave my stuff at your house then I'll hightail to the train station and fix everything. I'll get your tickets too."

"Fabulous," I said flatly. "Then let's get to it."

Not only do we have to pack, but I have to figure out a way to convince the rooster head and the pickpocket to stay put. Kenshin would probably help me with Yahiko, but the rurouni would be little help trying to persuade Sano.

I could see Kenshin trying to hold down a smirk as we made our way back to the dojo.

Funny. Before my revelations, I thought I had been hiding my true self from everyone and that no one really knew me for who I really am. When in fact, Kenshin knew me more than I did myself.

It just makes me realize…I really couldn't get one over the rurouni.

Yahiko watched Kyosuke slip out the dojo gate with open-mouthed astonishment. "What's that guy doing leaving his things here?" He demanded from us. "Isn't he suppose to be in Yokohama or something? What's the big idea, busu?"

Mou! What a brat!

I looked at him with martyr-like tolerance and replied. "Kyosuke will be leaving for Yokohama today. Kenshin and I are going with him."

"WHAT?" Yahiko cried indignantly. "You're going with him? What kind of a stupid idea is that? I thought you were supposed to be some kind of genius, ya old hag!"

Struggling with my instinct to yell back, I sucked my breath through my teeth and rubbed a hand to my neck. I can usually keep my patience with him, but the events of the day are making me rather volatile by the minute.

I gazed at Kenshin imploringly.

The rurouni got the hint. "Yahiko-kun, it has come to our attention that traveling with Kyosuke-san is necessary. We simply could not let him go alone, which is why we need your help."

"Eh?" Yahiko and I responded in unison.

Sometimes, Kenshin is full of surprises.

He nodded solemnly. "While Kaoru and sessha are gone, Sano will try to discover where one Nakagura Daisuke lives. You shall be assisting him. He will be your commanding officer and he will be staying with you here in the dojo so you must do exactly as he says. You must be inconspicuous about snooping as much as possible. We do not want people finding out that we are looking into them. Once you have the information we need, you will keep this information for us until we return. Do you understand?"

"Kenshin!" I cried while Yahiko's face brightened in excitement. "A-Are you nuts?" I demanded.

Oh I know what Kenshin's doing. I know that what he had ordered Yahiko to do was far less dangerous than having the kid getting ideas about following us to Yokohama, and with Sano taking charge of him, the Zanza will pretty much make sure Yahiko is kept from harm's way, but still! Even if there is no other way to make Yahiko stay put, I have to express my disapproval.

Grabbing Kenshin's arm, I locked my eyes with his purposefully. "He's just a child…like I was a child…please…" I whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

Kenshin smiled serenely. "Trust me, Kaoru," he whispered back, reaching up to caress my cheek.

His touch astonished me, and I stepped away from him, confused but willing to give him the trust he asked for.

Something rippled on his face for a split heartbeat. Was that…sadness?

No. I'm imagining things. Kaoru, you moron!

I'm not quite sure why I think so, though.

Kenshin turned his attention back to Yahiko. "Do you understand?" He repeated.

"You bet I do!" Yahiko chimed ecstatically, jumping a bit on his toes.

"Good," Kenshin said. "And there's one other thing, Yahiko-kun."

"Order away, Kenshin!"

"We must all be prepared for potential threats in every possible way," Kenshin continued. "Therefore, I want you to practice your kenjutsu very well…"

Yahiko grinned. "That goes without saying…"

Kenshin did not let the boy interrupt him. "…and when sessha returns with Kaoru, she will test you. If she deems you ready, you will spar with me."

Yahiko's eyes widened, so did mine.

Kenshin has never ventured to spar with either Yahiko or me. Too dangerous, he says. And for him to offer such an honor to the boy…it's a stroke of brilliance. Yahiko would be so engrossed with his training that he just might put off snooping.

Regaining my composure, I cleared my throat and said, "I'm not planning on making it easy for you, Yahiko. Right now, I'm set to deny you the honor…"

"Shut-up busu! I'll show you that I'm worthy of sparring with Kenshin! You'll see!" Yahiko exclaimed resolutely.

Summoning all my willpower not to smile, I turned my nose up. "Hmph! Then you better do good, boy."

"Oh, you're SO going to be eating your words, busu!" He cried, stalking off to the direction of the training hall. "I'll be in the dojo if anyone needs me!"

I watched him go and only until I was sure he was gone did I permit myself a grin. "Kenshin, that was pure genius!"

"Sessha would never put any of you at risk if sessha could help it, de gozaru yo," he intoned placidly, then he looked me straight in the eyes, strength blanketing his features. "And if it couldn't be helped, then sessha will do everything to protect you. In that, I would rather die than fail."

When he gets that intense…be still my heart.

Gathering my senses, I pulled my gaze from his. "I assume you're going to talk to Sano about his assignment. It's redundant, though. I already know where Nakagura Daisuke lives."

He nodded. "Yes, I figured as much, but I'll tell Sano what his role is in keeping Yahiko safe. We will deal with Nakagura Daisuke when we get back. In the meantime, Sano will correspond with the Oniwabanshu…"

"Kenshin, I'm not too enthusiastic about telling them…"

"You seem to have trust issues with me…"

Again, I looked at him. He was grinning, and after my momentary surprise, I chuckled. "Fine. I trust you won't tell them about my secret past, but what will you have the Oniwabanshu do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I will have Sano tell them to dig up whatever they can about Anenokoji Yasushige's death," Kenshin said. "The Oniwabanshu will not ask why we need to know unless it's absolutely necessary, which is why I will not ask them to investigate Ooka Taka's death, because then we'd have to tell them about you, ne? You do understand why they have to be the one to look into Yasushige, don't you?"

I sighed and nodded. "He's one of the elite. There's no way in hell we could find something if we're the ones who do the investigation because we're a bunch of riff raffs who'd sooner get snubbed than find out anything useful. The Oniwabanshu has more resources for it."

"Correct," he responded, pleased that I understood. "To keep the Oniwabanshu from knowing too much, though, we'll have to be the ones to investigate Taka's murder."

"You realize that their investigation of Yasushige might tell them enough," I pointed out wearily.

He smiled in understanding. "It's a risk we'll have to take, Kaoru. There is no other way, but if it is too much for you…"

I shook my head. "You're right. There's no other way. I'll risk it. I wonder if the Oniwabanshu will recruit me if they find out about me…"

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Sessha hopes you don't take their invitation. Sessha prefers you take a safer career, like teaching kenjutsu."

Mou! Quite the control freak, isn't he? When it comes to protecting me, he sure doesn't have a sense of humor.

"Don't worry. I'm not exactly thrilled to play spy again," I said, heading for my room. "I'm going to pack now, Kenshin. If you need anything, just give me a holler."

"Does sessha have to need something to give you a holler?" He asked.

"Er…" Grrr…he's teasing! "O…ro?" I responded lamely.

Kenshin chuckled and made his way to his bedroom.

"Kawaii…" I heard him say as he disappeared through the door.

It will never be easy to understand that man.

Kenshin didn't take longer than ten minutes to get his packing done. He didn't have many things, and even if he did, he'd probably take with him only as much. He was perhaps one of the most utilitarian men I've ever met. Doing away with the fuss and frills and keeping it to the barest essentials. Oh, I'm not complaining. He knows well enough not to impose his habits on others, making him pleasant in spite of it, but sometimes, I could not help but think that he deserves a little bit of luxury, like a new gi, or a new set of pants. The moment I get some money handy, I'll buy him something nice.

I was only halfway done when Kenshin showed up at the frame of my door, telling me that he had to go find Sano and leave his instructions with the Zanza.

"Alright Kenshin," I replied. "Don't take long."

"I'll be back as soon as I could," he said, flashing me a smile before he walked off.

I watched him leave before going back to my packing.

Yahiko's still practicing in the dojo. I do hope Kenshin's little ploy lasts. It most likely will, but I've long learned to expect the unexpected in this household.

I really should be talking to Tae and asking her to look after the brat while we're gone. Sano may be in charge of the little guy, but the kid might need some TLC after all, something Sano has been known to be short of providing.

When I was done packing, I went straight to the dojo to invite Yahiko to go with me to the Akebeko.

Arriving in the training hall, I saw the boy hard at work. I watched him for a while, marveling at how much he had improved, not only in kenjutsu, but also in the way he carried himself every day.

Unbeknownst to him, his manners have changed for the better. God knows I'd never mention it, lest he revert back to his über-Neanderthal ways (which these days is just semi-Neanderthal). He also walked with confidence now. Dignity. Something he had acquired once he had gotten it into his head that his days with the Yakuza were over. The kid had grown taller, healthier, and he will be good looking, especially with the expert way he applied his kenjutsu. I am terribly proud of him.

Smiling at what I like calling my "handiwork", I waited until he decided to notice me himself. He'd be using colorful words, I bet. That filthy mouth of his ought to be washed with enormous quantities of soap, for lack of something more potent.

Just as I had hoped, Yahiko stopped swinging and looked at me while he panted for breath. "Waddaya want, busu?"

If I had a Sen every time he called me that…I'd be a gagillionaire by now, and I've only known Yahiko for two years. "Yahiko, I have to go to the Akebeko and buy your dinner. Do you want to come with me?" Mou! The cash I have to dish out just so I could get someone to look after the boy properly and not leave him alone in the dojo!

"You know what, busu," he began, gasping for air. "I know you want me to go with you so you wouldn't have to leave me here all by myself. I'm not a baby."

I grinned. The kid really is smart. I crossed the distance between us to pinch his cheek. "Aww…you'll always be my baby, Yahiko-chan!"

He tried to sweep off my hand. "Quit it, ya old hag! Didn't you understand what I just said? And I'm willing to bet my hand that Sano's staying here will be a babysitting stint. What's the big idea?"

What a smart-ass. I realized that I haven't really talked to the kid about my revelations. I don't know how it has affected him. I had been so worried about how Kenshin would take it that I forgot to worry about Yahiko, who is one of the most important persons in my life right now.

Feeling a sudden rush of sisterly whatevers, I put an arm around his shoulders and shook him affectionately. "I forget you're growing up, kid. Can't help it, but you can't blame me if I don't think you're quite grown-up just yet to be left by yourself, ne? Kids your age shouldn't ever be made to fend for themselves." I told him with heartfelt emotion.

Yahiko gave me a startled glance, staring up at me with curious eyes. I'm quite surprised at myself too. I had said a bit too much than what I was ready for.

Did he understand the underlying meaning of my words? How my protectiveness of him is a reflection of how I wish I hadn't let them use me so much when I was younger?

"Kaoru, weren't you scared?"

Ah. He called me by my first name. The talk begins. He really been bothered by it. "Lots of times," I replied gently. "But I was still a child after all to worry about it like a grown up would. You can say that I didn't know enough to be so very afraid."

"Did any of 'em hurt you?" He asked with innocent eyes.

I'm not quite prepared to give him the whole truth of that, and I'm certain neither is he, for that matter, but I will answer part of it. "Let's walk to the Akebeko, shall we?"

He nodded and he followed me out of the dojo. While we walked, I started talking again.

"Did they hurt me…" I began thoughtfully. "Well, they did. Sometimes, they would beat me so sore that I couldn't move, and I'd just wake up the next day on the same spot they left me the day before."

Yahiko's brows knotted, keeping his gaze ahead of him as we completely descended the steps and headed for the gate. "So you really knew how I felt when I was with the Yakuza…"

"Oh yeah," I replied. "I knew it all too well."

"That's why you wouldn't let them keep me no matter what happened," he whispered. "You were willing to sacrifice yourself."

I shrugged. I had little to do with saving him that time. It was mostly Kenshin's doing, but I'm mighty glad I did what I did. "Better me than you. You're so young still, and you have a lot of things you can look forward to. I'm…" What to say… "Not so young anymore." I responded, waiting for him to step out in the street before I secured the gate to my property.

"Oi, even if I call you a hag, doesn't mean you're a doddering old fogy," he said with a scowl while we walked down the path towards the Akebeko. "You're only 19, you know. Don't tell me you're going to be doing the Kenshin bit about being old and all that!"

I was unable to contain the smirk on my face, but I refrained from telling him that when Kenshin got like that, he didn't mean that he was growing white hairs. It had to do with having gone through so much, feeling aged in spite of physical youth. I have long understood Kenshin in that, but Yahiko need not be made to comprehend it.

"No, I won't," I said. "The point is, I felt responsible for you, even then. I didn't want you to have to go through what I went through, whether or not my experiences were worse than yours. But frankly, I had been of the opinion that nothing could have been worse than what I had to endure, so I figured being stuck with the Yakuza wouldn't be so bad."

"That was a stupid risk, busu," he muttered.

I actually reached out and ruffled his hair. "In a sad, twisted way, that's very sweet of you to say, Yahiko-chan."

"Don't call me 'chan'!" He exclaimed.

"Mou!" The boy can have an annoyingly single tracked mind. "Fine. Do you have any more questions about my past, Yahiko-kun?"

An unexplainable blush came over his face and I wondered briefly if he had any questions about the more unwholesome aspects of my former career.

"Did ya have to kill anyone?" He asked quietly.

I'd say that's pretty unwholesome, but I could tell that it wasn't the question nagging at him. "Yes, I had to kill a few…" I replied placidly. "Do you hate me for it?"

"What?" He responded, startled by my question. "No! Why would I? Jeez! Sometimes you could be such a nut, busu."

I stifled a chuckle. "And you could be such a brat! Don't you find it repulsive that I'm teaching you the Sword that Protects when I've actually killed people?"

He tilted his face up at me, his eyes squinting against the sun as we trudged down the road. "Kaoru, just how much of a brat do ya think I am, anyway? You're like Kenshin, making up for things he didn't like doing in the past by doing lots of good in the present. Sorter like…trying to get rid of the guilt, ne?"

My eyebrow arched in surprise. "When did you get so wise, kid-o?"

"Since I had to raise a bunch of crazy adults…" I heard him mutter.

I laughed and draped an arm around him again, this time keeping it there. I was mildly astonished that he didn't mind the physical contact.

There was still something he hadn't asked me, something more important for him.

"Still got something in your mind, Yahiko-kun?" I prompted him.

He went all red in the face again. "Umm…do you…what I mean to say is…you really do like us, don't you? You're not like…pretending, are you?"

I stared at him, almost in horror. Horror that he had even given the thought any consideration at all but knowing I should have expected it. Pretending to love someone romantically is one thing, but pretending to have brotherly affection for others is another! I would never make sport of anyone like that! Even Kenshin, whom I had pretended to be in love with, has my sincerest regard, respect and affection.

"Y-Yahiko!" I gasped. "You, Sano and Kenshin are the three most important people in my life! Don't even think for one minute that you figure any less in my priorities. And I love you bozos no matter how moronic any of you get!"

"Oi! Who you callin' a bozo?" He demanded.

A smirk escaped my lips, relieved that he believed me. Oh, I know he heard me. He's just deflecting my sentimental words with his bratty whining. "Shut-up, kid," I retorted right back at him.

He grinned and poked his elbow on my hip. "So…you're really hopin' to hook the rurouni?"

I glared at him. Even if I wasn't really in love with Kenshin, Yahiko ought to be taught more manners than that. It's impolite to ask anybody such things! Or perhaps it was just the way he said it. "That's none of your business, Yahiko-chan," I said sternly, pinching his shoulder.

He yelped in complaint and grimaced at me. "You know what, ya really are an ugly hag! I was just asking! It's not like I don't have a right to know!" He yelled, stamping his foot like the true child he is.

Mou! Throw a tantrum, why don't you? "Right to know," I muttered. "What are you talking about, Yahiko?" Right to know…the idea…

"Look," He began, pointing a finger at me. "I've been living in that house with you and Kenshin for near two years, and I have to stand the…wazzit called?"

I stared at him, waiting for him to go on. I could see he was groping for a specific word, but damned if I knew what it was.

I sighed and rolled my eyes around in exasperation. "Spit it out, will you?" I cried.

"I'm trying!" He cried back. "I heard Tae use it when she and Megumi were talking a few days ago. Se…Sex…"

I felt my face warming. I thought I didn't have to explain anything about the birds and the bees for at least 10 more years, to my kids! And that's assuming I have kids in the next three years. It never crossed my mind that I'd have to explain it to Yahiko!

"Sexual tense up!" Yahiko shouted out triumphantly, stopping in the street and getting the attention of the people passing us by.

I cringed and shushed him. "DO YOU MIND?" I hissed, hustling him to keep walking. I lowered my voice and spoke close to his ear while darting glares at people to signify that they should keep their noses (and ears) to themselves. "And it's sexual tension, you primate!" Tense up is a completely different story!

"Yeah! That!" Yahiko said, allowing me to push him along. "I'm not sure what it is, but you know that feeling you get when you're in a room with some people and you feel like you shouldn't be there for some reason, or other? Sometimes, with you and Kenshin, I feel like I gotta excuse myself, you know? Because I feel like I'm getting in your way or something like that. Sano one time said it was the humidity rising in the room. Couldn't quite understand what he meant by that, but I think it's the same thing."

"What?" I demanded, a bit scandalized. Is he serious? Kenshin and I do not…aren't…what is he talking…MOU! "Yahiko, I've never heard of such rubbish in my entire…you heard it from Tae, Megumi and Sano?" Sexual tension? Oh for cryin' out loud! How can they think there's any sexual tension at all when I wasn't trying to project that even if I was pretending with the little Kenshin and Kaoru romance? Or was it because I was projecting it anyway…argh!

"Oh, they said you two were like a match and a stick of dynamite, and that one of these days, when the sexual tension gets really bad, one of you will strike the match, light the fuse and just go kaboom!" Yahiko narrated.

I groaned. It wasn't so much the gossip. I mean, I've heard worse in my life to get bothered with something as idle and harmless as that, but the hitch was…is there really? Sexual tension? Was I unwittingly projecting it? And if so, did Kenshin notice it?

I don't need that sort of complication in my already complicated life. Sure, I find him attractive sometimes, but…

Why the hell am I getting so worked up about this anyway? So what if that tension does exist? I mean, I can't blame the rurouni for his part in it. He has, after all, been missing in action for perhaps more than a decade. And then there's me…I'm mature enough to admit to myself that Kenshin can…and Battousai can…

I didn't even realize I was giving a wistful sigh until Yahiko gave me another nudge, a smug smirk on his face. "Thinkin' about Kenshin, again?"

I frowned. Not funny. "Get a move on, Yahiko. Damn! You guys have way too much time on your hands talking about my so-called…" Non-existent, "…love life."

Yahiko laughed and ran ahead of me towards the Akebeko.

Shaking my head, I followed him.

By the time Yahiko and I got back to the dojo, Kyosuke and Kenshin had returned.

The supposition that those two never liked each other very much was apparent from the way they sat face to face, having tea in the receiving room.

Kenshin sat straight-backed and cross-legged, the hilt of his sakabatou leaning on his shoulder. Kyosuke was more laid-back, but his forward slump and bored stare showed a wariness of the samurai. The rurouni's posture said, "See this sword? You know you're not my favorite acquaintance, ne?" while Kyosuke's wordless presence screamed, "I hear ya, Battousai…loud and clear."

Neither was saying anything. Though I have no doubts that Kenshin had engaged him in polite conversation, I'm sure it got them nowhere, discussion wise.

"Jeez…" Yahiko said with a whistle. "Fros-tee..."

Stifling a sigh, I approached them with a smile. "Hey, you two. How did your errands go?"

Both started talking at the same time, stopped, then looked at each other.

Oh for heaven's sake…"Kenshin, you first," I said, sitting between them.

"I've spoken with Sano," Kenshin began, then his face broke out in a smile. "He was at the clinic."

He might as well have said: "I told you so, de gozaru yo!"

"And?" I prompted him to go on, a tolerant expression on my face.

"Everything has been arranged," Kenshin continued. "Sano will see to it that Yahiko-kun complies with his orders."

"Great," Yahiko said flatly. Conveying to me that he had been right in his earlier assumptions about babysitting.

I turned to the child and raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be training now, Yahiko-kun?"

Yahiko rolled his eyes around, beginning his trek to the dojo. "Right."

When Yahiko was gone, I gave my attention to Kyosuke. "And you. What are our arrangements?"

"We'll be leaving for Yokohama in about an hour," Kyosuke replied. "I got us cheap seats, round trip and with a flexible schedule, so we can leave Yokohama anytime we like, but you gotta pay up…"

"Of course," I interjected with an eyebrow raised. "I'll have my butler go to the treasury vault…"

"Bitching…" He said in a sing-song voice.

"If it bothers you, then my mission in life is done," I retorted.

Kyosuke's face soured to unimaginable degrees. "Are you telling me you ain't payin' for your tickets?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said in a sweet voice and an overly pleasant demeanor. "Do we have to go with you? Are we the ones who need bodyguards? Did we forget to mention that we have better things to do?" I dropped my honeyed tone and frowned. "No, no and no! You're the one who wanted us to go with you in the first place, you world class nitwit! The least you could do is spring for our goddamn tickets!"

"Oro!"

"Everytime…" Kyosuke growled. "Every single time…I gotta put up with that razor-sharp tongue of yours!"

I glared. "And I gotta put up with your utter lack of cerebral activity! Wanna bet who has it worse?"

"Alright, that does it Kamiya, let's take this outside!" He cried, already getting to his feet.

"Fine!" I shot back, gathering my kimono. Darn…stupid…

Kenshin took about a second to be flustered, trying to figure out if we were serious. When he realized that we were, he raised his palms and cried. "Stop! Desist!"

I looked at him in surprise. Well, that was certainly different from his usual, "Maa…"

Even Kyosuke was startled into a stupor.

"You are no longer children!" He practically scolded. "Differences can no longer be resolved by…by brawls!"

Kyosuke gave Kenshin a glare. "May I remind you that you shoved a sword up my throat…"

"Sessha advises you not to push your luck," Kenshin told him with a pointed look.

"I'll shut up now," Kyosuke responded at once, taking his seat.

Kenshin turned to me with pleading eyes. "Kaoru…"

I sighed and sat down. "Right." I'm actually blushing. I didn't mean to be so infantile. Kyosuke seems to bring out my most puerile instincts. It has to do with our time together during the Bakumatsu. Disagreeing was definitely one of our more common exploits back then, simply because there were "too many cooks in the kitchen" so to speak, and both of us being so smart with minds of our own, nothing short of a primitive fist fight could settle the matter. For what it's worth, I think Kyosuke and I are just reminiscing. Gak! As if they were fond memories! "Hey Kyo-chan! What do you say we engage in a street brawl, for old time's sake?" What is wrong with me?

"Kyosuke-san," Kenshin began a bit loftily. "Kaoru and I have a very minimal income, I've made that clear in our earlier discussions…"

Earlier discussions? So they did talk. I wonder what about, exactly.

Kyosuke gave a resigned wave of his hand. "Jeez…fine. I'll pay for the trip. Damn…" He said with a sigh. "But our room and board stands the way we agreed on it."

I raised an eyebrow. "What room and board? You want us to stay in Yokohama now?"

"The last train from Yokohama leaves at 6 p.m." Kyosuke responded. "I doubt if we'll get anything done by then. Unless you want to walk home…"

I turned to Kenshin. "Can we afford it?"

"Sessha has some Sen," he replied. "It will be enough as long as we stay just one night."

I won't even ask where he got it. Kenshin has this strange habit of just suddenly showing up with groceries I didn't ask him to buy and what not. I suppose the government gave him something for his efforts against Shishio, but I don't think it appropriate to ask him outright, especially since it's made Yahiko's life and mine easier in terms of everyday essentials. Still, I didn't want him spending so much for the sake of Kyosuke's attempts to preserve his own behind.

"Oi, Kyosuke," I began. "You don't expect Kenshin to pay for the hotel accommodations, do you? You have to pay for your share."

He smirked. "Well, yeah, I'll pay for my accommodations. His and your accommodations however…"

A frown crossed my face. "What do you mean our accommodations?"

"Kyosuke-san has refused to share a room…" Kenshin answered for him while calmly sipping his tea.

"What?" I exclaimed incredulously, looking at Kyosuke. "Where's the sense in that?"

Kyosuke looked at me smugly. "Apart from the fact that I don't want to have you bitching at me the entire night? I'll need my privacy, especially if I get lonely…as in, horny lonely."

Pervert! "Oi! Jack off some other time!" I cried.

"Oro!"

I could see Kyosuke turning an indignant red. "I didn't mean I wanted to get off by myself, you idiot! I mean to get some help with affable company."

He is seriously pissing me off. How can he think of more whoring at a time like this? "You got money for a whore but you can't pay off your debts? Real swell, sexual frustrate!"

"Oro!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kyosuke yelled, pointing a finger at me. "You got your sex life, I got mine!"

"Sex life? What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded, turning red myself. What is it with everyone and my sex life?

Kyosuke laughed. "Non-existent, eh? No wonder you're such a bitch! Talk about sexual frustrate!"

"Argh! Kyosuke-!"

"That is none of your business," Kenshin suddenly said in a solemn tone.

I did a double take before I finally decided to fall speechless in astonishment, Kyosuke laughing in the background.

Kenshin went on. "Kyosuke-san, I think Kaoru would appreciate it if you do not make references to such things. It isn't polite."

Say what?

"Am I clear?" Kenshin continued, glaring at Kyosuke with eyes that flashed ever so briefly in gold.

Kyosuke stopped laughing and took on a sulking air. "Whatever."

"Good," said Kenshin. "The arrangements are final. Kaoru and I will share a room, and I entreat you to place no malice in it. Whatever your habits, Kyosuke-san, sessha will respect it, as long as it doesn't affect any of us in an untoward manner."

And he sipped his tea.

How does the rurouni do it? Must be the Hiten Mitsurugi training.

Share a room with him, huh? Well, I wonder what Sano, Megumi and Tae will say about it, come to that. I mean, I know enough not to even contemplate any funny business. It was never even an issue.

Sexual tension…bah! They're imagining things. Something they made up to get a thrill out of the whole played out romance.

Kenshin and I will be fine sharing a room. Just…just as long as he doesn't turn on the charm, we'll be fine…


	5. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

I do hope sincerely that I'm not boring you. This is a pretty new genre for me. I know my writing style's kind of obvious, but then I'm hoping I'm putting enough of a distinction with my other stories and this one. Though this chapter may seem dull, it's quite important to the story.

Standard disclaimers apply. "Rurouni Kenshin" (c) Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shuiesha, Shounen Jump, and Sony. I do not own RK, pray as I might, every night, it just wouldn't happen that way. No matter how many candles I light, no matter how many chickens I decapitate…

More disclaimers. I would just like to say that although I will be mentioning (and have mentioned) a lot of people who actually existed in Meiji Japan, my account of their lives and personalities are all fictional, except for what I say is true and actual in my closing Author's Notes. Please, no one sue me for libel.

**Chapter Four**

**THE HITOKIRI**

We arrived in Yokohama around half past three, and as always, the town was milling with people, Japanese and Foreigners alike. Yokohama is a wonderful city to tour, and much of the Westerners were a result of the ports along Yokohama's shore line.

The trip was uneventful, owing to the fact that Kaoru ignored most of Kyosuke's jibes to provoke her temper. That man could be such a child, and after that almost-explosive scuffle in her house, I could tell Kaoru was bent on keeping the childishness to a minimum from then on.

On my part, I refrained from paying too much attention to Kyosuke simply because I knew I scared the guy. I suppose I had been too harsh on him when I threatened him with my sword, but I could not help myself when Battousai makes his appearance. I just hope Kyosuke does not call him to action again.

Kaoru and I did not talk much either, and when we did, it was about inconsequential things. About how nice the countryside looked as we passed it, about how cooperative the weather was…I think it was mostly because Kyosuke was with us. She did not care to include him into the intimacies of our lives, which was completely fine by me. Kyosuke already had his chance back in the Bakumatsu. In this supposedly peaceful age, it is my turn, and I intend to make full use of it.

Besides, I did not need to talk to Kaoru to enjoy her company. Looking at her has always been one of my favorite pastimes, and with my new resolutions, I did not bother to hide the fact that when we weren't speaking, I took pleasure in watching her. She had, in fact, asked me twice, in an amused tone, what I was looking at. I had merely replied, "Nothing," but I kept my gaze on her, to which she responded with her signature, "Mou!"

I could not have anticipated finding myself in Yokohama from the events in the dojo this morning, but perhaps it had been an omen of some sorts that today would be full of surprises.

First of all, I had been astonished to discover Kaoru's room empty when I rose to start my chores for the day. I was usually the first to get up, not because I was the most industrious, but because waking up meant no more nightmares. Realizing she had gotten out of bed earlier than I did made me wonder if her nightmares were getting worse.

How utterly quaint…that we could probably ask each other, "So, how bad was your nightmare? Mine had so much blood. How about yours?"

Secondly, when I had made the morning preparations and found her in the dojo, she was banging her head against a beam, apparently injured from training by herself. My heart had wrenched, knowing full well about the frustration of just wanting to let the past die quietly, only to find out that it had deceptively been hibernating all this time. I wanted to put my arms around her, tell her it would be alright, but it might…scare her.

She still flinches when I give her fond caresses. It saddens me that she is so unwilling to accept the mere possibility of having something more with me than friendship. I could see it in her eyes. Like she is telling me to stay away from the part of her heart that can love a man. Yet, I can tell that the only reason she shied away from anything remotely resembling romance was because no one had ventured to show her how true and wonderful it is. She refused to believe that she deserves to be adored, and she thinks that love, the kind that drives deep passions, had forsaken her.

Mou, Kaoru-koishii! You had never been so wrong in your life!

The train's whistle blew, snapping me out of my musings. Smoke puffed out of its stack, steam hissing out from beneath it as we disembarked from our car.

After gathering our things, we headed to the town proper to get to our hotel. It wasn't far from the station itself, and therefore it looked far more decent than Kyosuke's previous accommodations, even from the outside.

Kaoru looked at the structure dubiously. "This doesn't look half as rinky-dink as Hoteru Kurei, Kyo-chan. It might be a little too heavy on our pockets…"

"Give it a rest, Kaoru," Kyosuke muttered. "This place is as per your boyfriend's specifications. I'm not exactly rich and famous myself."

Kaoru gave a start. "Boyfrie…?" Then she looked at me in disbelief. I merely smiled brilliantly in response.

What Kyosuke said was true. I did tell him that our living-quarters should house decent clientele. I have never been a snob, but I'd prefer a place where the men in the establishment would treat my Kaoru with respect, even if it did diminish a large chunk of my already dwindling savings.

"Let us hurry, shall we?" I prompted them pleasantly. "It is already half past four."

As we made our way inside, I could feel Kaoru's perplexed gaze on my back.

Oh well, if she asks, I am prepared to tell her the truth. She may interpret the reasons anyway she likes, just as long as she understands that I do this all for her.

It didn't take long for us to settle into our hotel rooms. None of us had brought much luggage that needed unpacking, and as Kaoru said, she wanted to get this Yokohama "stint" over with and not be bothered by the usual moving-in rituals.

A quick observation of our room showed the Western influence on Yokohama clearly. In spite of the fact that the owners had named the inn Ichishikingen Ryokan, New Age Japanese Hotel, there was nothing much "Japanese" about it. For one thing, the furniture, though not lavish, was of European influence. A futon with legs, a desk with a chair, those strange triangular "hangers" inside a single-poled storage receptacle (Kaoru called it a "closet"), and paned windows with glass covers. The only thing remotely Japanese about the whole set up were the walls and flooring, which was made of smooth, bleached wood and shoji doors. I had wondered briefly where I would sleep, seeing as there was only one bed, but I quickly decided that the corner of the room would do just fine. It wouldn't be the first time for me to bunk on a floor.

Kyosuke, Kaoru and I were soon walking out of the hotel, making our way to Banshio's part of town. It was a rather long walk, but the route was scenic, distracting me from the important matters at hand in more ways than one.

Though Kaoru would often delight me with comments like, "Look, Kenshin! That wasn't there when we were last here, ne?" or "Ooh! Chocolate cake! Wanna share a slice with me later, Ken-kun?" Kyosuke got as much attention with her calling him "Kyo-chan" incessantly. No matter how many times I tell myself that we were in the middle of a serious investigation and that I should put off my feelings of jealousy, "Kyo-chan" just kept ringing in my ears to near-unbearable degrees even when Kaoru wasn't saying it. Wouldn't have been so bad if Kyo-chan wasn't so responsive. Apparently, when it came down to it, the two of them actually got along.

"There's this steam engine apparatus I'm working on at home…" Kyosuke began animatedly. "It works, but I need more power. I can't seem to manage it."

"How many pistons?" Kaoru asked.

"Well…one…"

"No wonder," Kaoru had said with a roll of her eyes. " With one cylinder, the steam exhausted from the cylinder can probably give off significant pressure, but if you dump the excess of it into the atmosphere, you're wasting the energy that's actually still there, and in the process, you waste fuel efficiency. So that you don't waste it and therefore consequently add to the power at the same time, you have to give it a confined space to expand and push against. So you…"

"Add another piston! Of course!" Kyosuke exclaimed, slapping his forehead.

I haven't the slightest idea what they were talking about. I know that it's not because I'm stupid, it's just that they're geniuses, and as much as I find fascination in the way a train is made to move on its tracks, I don't know the first thing about naming one thingamajig from another. It's not so much that I couldn't jump in on their conversation. It has more to do with the fact that I couldn't jump into a conversation Kaoru was having with Kyo-chan.

Of course, my jealousy won over, so gathering my composure, I flashed my most brilliant smile. "Kyosuke-san," I called pleasantly. "Are we headed in the right direction?"

"Eh? Oh, yeah. Sure Himura. Just keep walking."

And he went back to discussing "multiple cylinders" (?) with Kaoru.

Keeping the smile on my face, I refused to be ignored. "Kaoru, are you not tired? Perhaps you would like to rest a while and have some tea in the next tea house that we come upon."

Kaoru was much more affable in addressing me. She gave me one of her pretty smiles and linked her hand on my arm. "I'm fine Kenshin. Maybe we can try one of the tea houses later, ne?"

Though she kept the link, she returned her attention to Kyosuke.

I held back a sigh and resigned myself to steering Kaoru from any stray puddles on the road.

It felt like an eternity getting to Banshio's home, and when I noticed that our surroundings were becoming less and less affluent, I decided to ask Kyosuke again if we were in the right place.

"Yep," Kyosuke replied. "The Shikeigai sekkou didn't exactly make a mint during and after the war, if you know what I mean."

My smile widened. "Neither did the Hitokiri, Kyosuke-san."

He and Kaoru looked at me uncertainly, and when I didn't say anything he continued. "Right…as I was saying, we don't all have large estates in Tango or fancy dojos in Edo…

Kaoru groaned. "Spare me, alright? Just tell us, Kyo-chan. Has Banshio been living in this…er, that is to say…"

"Dump?" Kyosuke finished for her, gesturing to what could virtually be called holes in the wall.

It was a row of shoji doors, distinguishing what seems to be individual cramped living quarters. The doors were grimy and patched. Each space was allotted two stories, but I doubt that fact made it any more comfortable. The combined height of the first and second floor left much to be desired, and if someone perhaps as tall as Sano or Hiko were to live in one of these rat holes, they'd have to be bent over all the time. Hoteru Kurei was luxurious compared to this type of housing.

Kaoru glared at him. "Poverty," she corrected him pointedly. "Now which one of these is his?"

"This one right here," Kyosuke said, stepping up to the door right in front of us and rapping on its wooden frame.

"I don't have money, so scram!" Barked a slurred voice from inside.

"Good grief, he sounds like he's drunk," Kaoru muttered.

Or high, with opium.

Kyosuke leaned closer to the door. "Banshio, Tenshio Kyosuke. I'm with Kamiya Kaoru. Remember us?"

Kyosuke was wise not to include Hitokiri Battousai into his list of Bakumatsu buddies.

There was a silence, and for a moment, I thought he had either passed out or refused to answer.

Just when Kyosuke was going to knock again, the door slid open slightly, and wary, bloodshot eyes peered out.

We stared at him, not saying anything while his eyes darted between Kyosuke, Kaoru and finally me.

He spoke. "I didn't know the Hitokiri Battousai's still in business."

I flinched but wondered why he considered my presence as "being in business". "Umm…they call me Himura Kenshin nowadays…"

Kyosuke sighed, waving off my introduction. "Long story. Let us in."

"Why should I?" Banshio asked in a mildly irritated tone. "My life has been just peachy without any of you coming back to haunt me."

My eyebrows knotted. It seems that none of the Shikeigai sekkou are ever happy to see each other. Indicative of experiences best left forgotten.

"Banshio, if this is peachy, I'd have killed myself a long time ago."

"Kyosuke!" Kaoru scolded, stepping on his foot with her wooden sandals.

"Ouch!"

"Welllll, Kaoru-san," Banshio drawled, looking at Kaoru from head to foot. "You sure cleaned up good. Prettier than I remembered."

"Banshio, we were ten years old and we saw each other for a total of thirteen hours," she said, deflecting the compliment. "I should hope I'd changed since then."

We could see his face tilting to the side behind the crack in agreement. "Yeah, but I didn't think you'd ever fill out. In the right places too. You were such a scrawny kid. Now you look like a lady."

"Thanks," Kaoru replied flatly.

"I might as well invite you in. It's not every day that I get to be with such important people," he said, obviously sarcastic. He disappeared for a moment then the door finally opened to let us in. Apparently, the presence of Kaoru softened him up a bit.

A cloud of smoke hindered our line of vision for a few seconds before we could get a good look at Banshio.

He was about as tall as Kyosuke. A bit round in the middle, but quite skinny all over. He was bald, with a tattoo of a frightening phoenix crawling from his nape to his crown and several more tattoos painted on his arm exposed by the sleeves of his red, hand-me-down-like garish kimono.

Banshio was smoking a cigarette, and judging by the mess of ashes on the floor coupled with the countless stubs swept to the corners of the room, it was a habit.

I could see Kaoru's eyes darting from one pile of clutter to another, and if it were only appropriate, she'd be cleaning the entire place by now, or else ordering us all about to scrub this or pick up that.

"Please excuse the mess," he said sardonically. "If I had known guests were coming, I would have straightened up a bit and brought out the fine tea-cups."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow but said nothing in response.

Tucking the cigarette sliver between his lips, Banshio tossed a few things to the side to clear a space for the four of us. "You're lucky I did a bit of fumigating yesterday," he said, the cigarette bobbing in his mouth and flicking some embers on himself in the process. "Or the lice would have already gotten you."

I heard Kaoru's slight intake of breath. "Lice? You're joking, right?"

"Do you think I like being bald sweet cakes? I did it to keep the lice away, that's what," he said in a billow of smoke while a few more of his lighted cigarette settled down on the front of his robe. As evidenced by the burn-marks dotting his kimono, I'd say he was past caring.

Kyosuke coughed, waving a hand in front of his nose. "Damn! I'd say you're fumigating right about now, Banshio. This place is smoked to the ceiling!"

Banshio coughed throatily, not bothering to remove the cigarette from his mouth, which was perhaps the very reason why he was coughing in the first place. More smoke clouded the room. "Look. I didn't invite you here, so I'd appreciate it if you don't dis my humble abode, alright?"

"We apologize for the intrusion, Banshio-dono," I said solemnly. "But it is very important that you understand what we are about to tell you, de gozaru yo."

Banshio raised an eyebrow in my direction, then he turned to Kaoru. "Who'd a thunk Hitokiri Battousai could be so polite, eh sugar?" He said with a chuckle.

Kaoru was about to retort something biting, perhaps in protest of the pet names he's been calling her, but he forestalled her protests by swiping out a pink scarf and wiping a portion of the floor.

"Sit here, sweety. I got it cleaned for ya," he said, flashing Kaoru a pleasant smile, as far as pleasant smiles with a cigarette goes. "It'll break my heart if you ruin that kimono of yours."

Frankly, the gentlemanly gesture, veiled behind his gruffness, surprised me as much as it did Kaoru, but in her stupor, she congenially took the space without a word.

We sat down on our places and I stared curiously at Banshio. What an odd character, this man.

"Now, what earth shattering news do you have for me?" He asked with an amused grin, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kyosuke looked quite irritated. "I find it hard to believe that you haven't pieced it already. Kaoru and I are here, with Battousai, on top of what's been in the papers…"

Banshio chuckled. "Look around, Kyosuke. Do I look like I can afford to buy the daily paper? I can barely afford to eat three square meals a day…"

"So that explains why you're so fat," Kyosuke interjected sarcastically.

Kyosuke could be such a jerk, really. I could see Kaoru's jaw clenching at his rudeness.

Much to our surprise, Banshio let out a good natured laugh. "Fat?" He asked, patting the potbelly so ill-placed on his thin frame. "This ain't fat, my friend. This is sake. Something people partake of to forget life's troubles. You know, fermented rice extract, composed of ethanol, arginine, lots of other stuff that can diminish one's brain cells…"

"Look, I know what sake is made of, alright?"

"Well, good. So now could you explain to me what you're doing here?" Banshio said patiently, taking a deep draught from his cigarette and blowing out the smoke as he spoke. "I haven't got all day, you know."

"Banshio-san," Kaoru began, taking over for Kyosuke who was not helping at all. "Just so you know, the Shikeigai's being killed off one at a time."

One simply could not get any more forthwith than that.

"And that means what, to me?" Banshio responded.

Kaoru blinked. "Pardon me, Banshio-san, but last time I checked, you were a Shikeigai spy too."

"Ah," Bansio said with a sage nod. "I knew I forgot something."

Odd indeed.

Kyosuke frowned. "Are you KIDDING?" He cried indignantly.

Kaoru did not look too pleased either.

"Maa…" I interjected calmly. "It is obvious Banshio-dono would like no further part in this. That is quite understandable, considering sessha would have preferred Kaoru to stay out of this business as well, but Banshio-dono, our main purpose was to warn you. Sessha would advice you to be careful since it seems someone has made it their mission to eradicate the former Shikeigai."

Banshio chuckled and stared at me thoughtfully. "Back in the Bakumatsu, I would have considered words like that from Battousai a threat, but apparently, your 'sessha-ing' has blunted that effect. Thank you for the warning, Battousai. It will be noted, but tell me, where do you fit in all of this?"

I smiled. "Sessha is just making sure Kaoru is safe."

He raised an eyebrow. "You her husband or something?"

Or something.

Kaoru turned red in the face and was about to blurt out a vehement denial when I answered.

"Sessha does not need to be her husband to protect her."

A wide grin crossed Banshio's face. "Indeed. It's what you did during the Bakumatsu after all, protecting others who wasn't your wife."

I cringed, and so did Kaoru. There was no way Banshio could have known about what really happened with Tomoe, but his words had struck too close to home. I noticed that Banshio was more insinuative than either Kaoru or Kyosuke. It was his distinct Shikeigai spying weapon. Kaoru had used innocence to gain the enemy's trust, Kyosuke had used bratty-ness to earn the enemy's disregard for his presence, but for Banshio, it was sheer intrigue, and the potency of his words. It's like he could sense what words could strike a certain individual, and use it to his advantage. It's rather hard to imagine that he survived his former job at all.

"Could I like, cut to the chase here? Thanks," Kyosuke said impatiently. "Banshio, we want your help."

Banshio leaned back calmly with a grin. "Everybody wants Banshio's help…"

"Well, this time, it might be for your own good," Kaoru put in. "We have to stop these guys before they get to us."

"Were you not listening to Battousai?" Asked Banshio. "It's quite clear to him that I want no part in this, whether or not my hide is on the line. Apparently, he's smarter than you two."

Kaoru sighed in quick resignation.

Kyosuke's eyebrows knotted. "So you're saying you don't wanna help us."

Banshio looked at Kaoru and me. "Has this guy turned into a moron, or what?" He then addressed Kyosuke. "What do you think? Because Lord knows I'd ever be able to figure that out. I wasn't able to piece it while working with you for two months during the Bakumatsu, much less a few minutes in the Meiji."

"Well, pardon me if I want to put off dying for a while," Kyosuke said sourly.

The problem with Kyosuke, it seems, is that he could never let anything go. He would not, in any way, let anyone else have the last word, which could result in an uproar if it's Kaoru, or most probably, something infinitely worse if it's sessha. I wonder how Banshio will react to it.

Banshio lost the good humor on his face and gave his own frown. "I'm not particularly suicidal myself, but these deaths you're telling me about…how'd they die? I mean, why did you come to the conclusion that the Shikeigai are being hunted? Did they all die at the same time? One after the other? Violent deaths?"

"Are you seriously asking these questions?" Kyosuke demanded. "I admit, the first two deaths didn't jolt my noggin all that much, but the third one came so soon after the second! It was at the third death I realized we were being exterminated…like pests! They're closing in!"

He was already beginning to sound a bit hysterical, and Kaoru gave me a nudge.

"For goodness sake, Kenshin," she muttered. "Say something to calm the guy before I start hitting him!"

I undertook her request. "Maa…Kyosuke-san, calm down," I said. "He is just trying to be rational. Banshio-dono, the fact of the matter is, one death is bad enough, and three is just outrageous. Even if all three had merely died of a strange malady, it needs considering. The Meiji is supposed to be a time of peace, and when three people who came from the same faction during the Bakumatsu die mysterious deaths, it's quite logical to conclude that something is up."

Banshio chuckled quietly and looked at all of us with composed curiosity. "How did they die anyway?"

"Miyori died about a year ago," Kaoru began. "A disease got her. Taka got gang-hit about three and half months back, and Yashushige bought it right in his home, with his wife to boot."

Banshio whistled and shook his head. "That sucks."

Well, that's putting it mildly.

"So," Banshio said. "Should we draw straws on who goes next?"

"That's not funny, Banshio," Kaoru intoned with a frown.

"When did you lose your sense of humor, sugar?" Asked Banshio with an amused smile.

Kaoru's frown deepened. "How do you know I even had one? We barely spoke to one another, you know."

"Sweet cakes, there's gotta be a sense of humor in there somewhere, or you wouldn't have been able to stand being with Kyosuke."

"Who said I could stand him?" Kaoru grumbled.

"Oi!" Kyosuke cried.

I sniggered.

"There, you see? Sense of humor," Banshio pointed out.

It seems that Kaoru always put Banshio in better spirits. I tried again where Kaoru and Kyosuke failed. "Will you help us?"

Banshio gave it some serious thought this time. "Look, I have to admit that I'd rather take a coward's retreat on this one, but heck, with Hitokiri Battousai on our side, I imagine anyone would have to be crazy to try anything, ne?"

"Oro…"

"I'll think about it," Banshio said. "We can meet tomorrow morning and I'll tell you my decision."

Kyosuke's eyes lit up. "Where?"

"Well, where are you guys staying? It's bound to be better than this dump," Banshio replied. "And with better food."

We got the hint.

"Ichishikingen Ryokan," Kaoru told him. "There's a small European-style coffee shop beside it, but I'm sure they serve meals."

"I don't care if it's a pet store. If they serve food, I'm totally fine with it," responded Banshio with a grin. "I'll meet you there at six thirty in the morning."

I couldn't tell what was going on in Banshio's mind. He's certainly full of little surprises. I find it hard to believe that he's as clueless about the deaths as he lets on. Only the rurouni could be clueless, no one else. Or maybe he is clueless, but only because he refuses to know. If he ever decides to join us, I can see how he could be of help, but should we trust him? Between him, Kaoru and Kyosuke, his cleverness is the most dangerous. I'd like to think I'm cautious, not paranoid, but something strikes me as different with this character's ki. The kind of ki which tells me that paranoia is a prudent emotion at this point.

"Very well. We shall be expecting you at the coffee shop, Banshio-dono," I said to confirm it.

His only reply was a cloud of smoke.

"Shees, now we really have to stay here overnight," Kaoru said as we headed back to our hotel. Then she looked at Kyosuke squarely. "You know what, it just occurred to me…you made us check in the moment we got here. We could have just decided to check in after we've talked to Banshio, that way, we would be sure that we'd have to stay in Yokohama."

Kyosuke sighed wearily. "Banshio had always been a take-your-time guy. It was true during the Bakumatsu, and I was willing to bet our accommodations that it still is. You see, I'm right."

"Banshio-dono is a prudent man," I said. "Rational." Too rational, I think.

"Now what are we going to do?" Kaoru asked, her eyes roving to the teashops.

I smiled. If my Kaoru wants tea, then she'll have some.

I would say that killing time in Yokohama could be a wonderful experience. Killing time in Yokohama withwhile Kyosuke is constantly looking over his shoulder and bothering us with it is down right unnerving. The man skulked around, crouching as low as he could go without seeming very suspicious, eyes darting from left to right, particularly when a man, or men, fitting the description of big and burly happened to pass us by. Kaoru had to tell him several times that's he's "being ridiculous!" but of course, he'd have to snap right back with something more annoying than his cloak and dagger manner. I didn't expect our visit to Yokohama to be all that enjoyable, but I had hoped Kyosuke doesn't make it any more unpleasant. Apparently, he has.

So by the time we get back to our quarters to retire, Kaoru and I were exhausted from putting up with him.

"Mou!" Kaoru exclaimed when I closed us into our hotel room. "I'd almost forgotten how it could be torture being with Kyosuke for long periods of time!"

I kept my smirk to myself. Childish as it was for me to be satisfied about Kyosuke's demise when it comes to how Kaoru regards him, I indulged myself. "Maa…it was not all that bad," I said, hoping to bait her into another tirade.

Kaoru rolled his eyes around. "Kenshin, sometimes you could be overly polite. Admit it. He was a pain the entire day. He was so annoying that if one of those goons had actually showed up, I would have given the thug a kiss on the cheek and said, 'Thank God you're here!'"

Chuckling, I relished her raving at Kyosuke's expense.

"I don't know about you, Kenshin, but I'm going to bed to sleep off this aggravation," she said, pulling her hair free from its ribbon.

For some reason, the sight of her hair cascading down her shoulders got my heartbeat going. Earlier, I wouldn't have thought staying in the same room with her could be so daunting, but now, realizing what a simple pull of her ribbon could do to me, it suddenly felt like I'd opened the proverbial abyss and poised myself to jump into it.

While she knelt on the floor to rummage through her bag, I took a deep breath and trudged to the corner of the room to take my place.

She looked at me, the veil of her hair framing her delicate face in glossy waves. It was exquisite, and I could have sworn the gods had a hand in it, most likely to drive me insane. "Kenshin, you're not seriously thinking of sleeping in that corner, are you?"

The gods are cruel, I see. "Sessha is thinking just that."

She frowned, the pout of her lips amazingly luscious. "I think sacrificing comfort and health to propriety at this point in time is ridiculous, Kenshin."

"The bed is too small," I said rather desperately.

Kaoru chuckled. "In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly the two most robust people in Japan."

"Sessha would not want to crowd you…"

She sighed. "You won't. Kenshin, if you're worried about my so-called virtue, may I remind you that I'm not the pure person you used to think I was."

I frowned. Oh, but no matter what they did to you…purity of heart cannot be taken away. Besides, it is not just her virtue I am worried about. I am more worried about myself. "Kaoru-dono…"

"Don't start," she told me firmly. "We're sharing the bed."

Groping for a foothold, I blurted out, "Sessha prefers the floor…"

Kaoru flashed a mischievous smile. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll bite? I'll be good, I promise," she told me with a wink.

The way she said good could have given me a heart attack. "Oro…"

She laughed, but I could have sworn a blush spread over her cheeks for a second. "Oh, for goodness sake, we're both mature adults so stop being silly and get over here."

This is such an awkward situation. Taking it from her nonchalance, I really should just sleep beside her. Creating a fuss would only make it more uncomfortable for both of us. On the other hand, if I do take the other side of the bed, which is confusingly the last thing I want to do, yet there being nothing I want more in this lifetime, it might make parts of my body too obviously pleased by the arrangement. The spirit is willing, but something is certainly weak.

She rolled her eyes around at my hesitance. "Much Ado About Nothing…ever read that play, Kenshin? Shakespeare wrote it."

"Eh?"

"Of course you hadn't. It's in English, but that pretty much sums up what you're doing now."

I have no idea who this Shi-ekus-pe-ru is, writer of Ma-chu A-dou A-ba-o-tsu No-tsu-in-go, but I have a feeling she is mildly making fun of me. "Very well. Sessha will sleep beside you…" I forestalled a sigh when I said it. I certainly did not want her to think that it is so much of an unpleasant experience for me, because it isn't.

Effecting a satisfied nod, she then ordered me to turn around while she changed into her sleeping robe, suggesting that I change into sleeping garments as well. As I stared at the wall while slipping into my own robe, I wondered briefly if I wouldn't be reduced to a puddle on the floor knowing Kaoru is changing clothes right behind me. Goodness, I always desired this woman, but if I'm ever blessed with being intimate with her, I think I'll die.

When she said she was finished dressing, she settled on the bed and I had to make some sort of a survey where I would place myself.

"Oh, for heavens sake, Kenshin," she muttered, easing herself beneath the sheets while she said it. "Just get in the damn bed."

Since she was being very casual about it at this point, I settled gingerly beside her. She turned her back to me and got herself comfortable.

Red faced, I tried to lie down, but I was so conscious about not touching her that I promptly rolled off the bed with a thud and pulled all the blankets down with me. "Oro!"

"K-Kenshin!" Kaoru cried, sitting up and looking over the edge. "Are you alright?"

"Ouch…" I hissed quietly to myself. I had hit my knee on the floor, but amidst the tangle of sheets, I looked at her and mustered a smile. "Sessha is alright…"

She rolled her eyes around. "Get up here," she ordered me gently. "You are obviously too tense. Honestly! Lie down and relax! I won't bite!"

Oro! I wish she had not said that.

My blush getting fiercer by the minute, I climbed back on the bed and let her try making both of us comfy. She plopped her head down on her pillow and pulled the blankets over the both of us, then she turned her back to me again, snuggling on to the mattress and my side. Goodness… I could barely move, not because she was crowding me, but because I was too aware of her being there.

"Jeez…" she mumbled a few minutes later without moving. "Relax, rurouni. I feel like I'm sleeping beside a petrified log."

I sighed. "Sessha is sorry…"

"Don't apologize. Just ease up, will you? If you just relax, you'll find that sleeping on the bed with me is more comfortable than sleeping on floor. I should hope I'm softer than the floor."

I blinked. I'm certain she's softer than the floor.

"Forget I said that," she suddenly mumbled drowsily. "Just-just go to sleep."

Might as well…

Turning to the window of the room, my back towards her, I tried to doze off. I actually felt myself relaxing a few minutes later, the silence lulling my rattled nerves.

Must be the fatigue. I'm not getting any younger.

I felt her shift, rolling around, likely so she would be facing my back. After a few more minutes of silence, she called to me. "Kenshin?"

My heart raced, and I prayed that she could not hear it from our close proximity.

"Yes?" "I know you said you feel you know me better because of my recent revelations," she said in a sleepy voice, "but that was from the first hour I told you the truth. What do you think of me now having 'known me better' these past few days?"

What…? It sounds as if she's worried that I like her less. Love her less…

I turned around to look at her.

I saw that she wasn't actually completely facing me. She had the front of her body flat on the mattress, and it was her head that was turned to the side to stare at me. Though her eyes conveyed drowsiness, I could tell that she was really waiting for my reply.

The soporific atmosphere was catching, and I snuggled against my pillow. My eyes fluttered slowly as I answered her question with a small smile. "Sessha still thinks the world of you. Never worry that your past will make me think badly about you, Kaoru-chan…"

I called her chan…well, it might be inappropriate, but when one's mind is hazy, things like that slip out. I bet she'll let it pass because I think she's even sleepier than I am. Caught in this haze, I reached out and rubbed the pads of my fingers on her cheeks. I always liked her porcelain-smooth complexion…

Her face brightened to a calming sheen, allowing my touch. "Really? You still want me as your best friend, Kenshin?"

"Of course…" Even more than a best friend…

"I'm so glad," she whispered. "I have a filthy mouth, ne? And I'm not so innocent…and I can be so horribly childish when I get pis…angry."

I could detect some moisture in her eyes. For someone who's so tough, I didn't think it would affect her so much.

"Maa…" I said soothingly, taking the edge of the blanket to wipe a tear beading at the corner of her eye. "You think too lowly of yourself, Kaoru-chan. Sessha cares for you too much to take anything against you. And sessha already told you that I like this new-you as much as the old one."

A smile spread on her face. "Thank you for saying that, Ken-kun," she whispered, her eyelids fluttering like a butterfly's wings lounging on an exquisite flower.

If only she understood the extent of my words. How deeply it runs inside me. Right now, with her face only a few inches from mine, I want nothing more than to kiss those bud-plump lips. I would run my fingers through her hair while I willed her to melt into my arms. Perhaps she would let me explore that exquisite tongue of hers…

My fantasy was abruptly cut short when Kaoru turned around again, her back to me. It was to my utter surprise when she shifted to nestle herself against me, pulling my arm around her waist to secure her. I was too astonished to do anything, and though this "position" dashed any hopes I had of kissing her, this intimacy was near overwhelming. Maybe that could be called a blessing in disguise, because if I had not been so shocked, the awareness of her would have made my body respond embarrassingly. She would know…she would have felt it through the layers of silk.

I had thought she was so repulsed by my touch, but I suppose her drowsiness had made her forget to distance herself this one time.

With her in my embrace, she gave a contented sigh before settling completely.

How strange that someone who claims to lack innocence should find nothing wrong with spooning with her best friend. I, on the other hand, would be stupid to make any complaints.

It was wonderful to have her in my arms like this, and oddly, this felt even more relaxing. Maybe it was the thought that now I could protect her with her being so close to me, or maybe it was just the scent of her hair…

Closing my eyes, I drifted off into sleep.

When I woke up the following morning, Kaoru was no longer beside me. I didn't know if I found more relief in that or disappointment. I always thought the rosy-ness of her morning face endearing, but then, we'd have to go through the awkwardness of having to get through morning-rituals usually accomplished in private.

Getting myself ready for the new day, I noticed that she was already packed to go. All set to leave Yokohama at a moment's notice.

I left our room to check on Kyosuke's, but my unanswered knock on his door meant that he was either still asleep, or he isn't in the room.

I made my way out of the hotel to see if they were in the coffee shop we had arranged to meet Banshio in. They were indeed there, bickering so early in the morning.

"I'm just saying that we get something nice to eat for Banshio!" Kaoru was saying loftily. "The guy doesn't seem to get to eat good food, so I don't think he'd appreciate the cheapest order on the menu!"

"I'm not dishing out more Sen than is necessary, Kao-chan! Shees! We're not rich, you know!"

"I didn't mean we should get him lobster, you moron. I was just saying that he'd appreciate more than just a cheap-ass garlic stick and tea!" She huffed. "At least get him some bread and cheese to go with some coffee…"

Kyosuke frowned, "But that's more expensive than a garlic stick and tea!"

"Stop being such a tightwad!" Kaoru growled. "The poor fella's looking forward to this meal!"

I considered watching them for a few moments, just to entertain myself, but when Kyosuke spitefully stepped on Kaoru's foot (it looked rather painful because he sort of ground his heel on her toes) and got her to cry a restrained "Owww! K-Kyosuke you idiot!" I showed myself, glaring at Kyosuke.

"H-Himura-san!" Kyosuke exclaimed. "H-How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," I said sternly, taking a western chair and sitting beside Kaoru as she soothed her mistreated foot. "Apologize to her," I ordered him.

"S-Sorry…" he muttered.

"Mou!" Kaoru exclaimed, kicking his shin with her wooden sandal.

Kyosuke crumpled in pain.

I smiled brightly and turned to Kaoru. "Good morning! Did you sleep well, Kaoru?"

She smiled back, forgetting her foot. "Yes. I was very comfortable!"

A tiny chuckle, more like a giggle, escaped her then she called over a waiter to take our orders.

Somehow, it disappointed me that she thought so casually about last night, but I suppose that's the way things really are between us…presently.

It was only a bit past six when Banshio arrived. He was glad we were there, and he got right down to business too. "So! What's for breakfast?" He asked.

Kaoru told him, and it wasn't garlic-sticks. Kyosuke grumbled but had nothing more to say about it since I was there, backing Kaoru up.

After breakfast, Banshio simply told us that he was going to help. We were glad that he had decided positively to our entreaty, and we told him that he would have to come with us after we left Yokohama.

Since this was all Kyosuke's idea, it was resolved that he would be in charge of Banshio's train tickets. Banshio would be assigned to Aizu, where he would investigate Taka's death.

We were in the midst of detailing the plans when someone grabbed Kyosuke by the collar and pulled him roughly to his feet. "There you are!" Said the stranger in a lopsidedly pleasant manner. "Nice to see you're having a fine meal in this fancy place while you've got unpaid debts, Tenshio!"

Staring at the scene in shock, we were only able to gather our senses when the hulking man tossed Kyosuke to the street fiercely. Kyosuke's head hit the ground and he groaned dazedly.

Kaoru, Banshio and I sprung to our feet in shock.

"Mou!" Kaoru cried. "Who are you and why are you hurting him?" She demanded.

The man growled and stepped closer in our direction. I moved in front of Kaoru and I noticed that Banshio did the same thing.

"Kyosuke a friend of yours?" The stranger asked me.

"Hardly," I replied, staring at him calmly. "But he is our companion. I prefer that you do not disturb us in such a manner."

He grunted and picked up Kyosuke by the front of his shirt. A crowd had already gathered to watch the scene unfold.

"Stay out of this," said the man gruffly. "Gen-ichi's business."

He slung an incapacitated Kyosuke over his shoulder and made a motion to walk off.

"Kenshin, we have to do something!" Kaoru hissed. "He's one of those bookie hit men! Kyosuke's going to get it bad!"

I nodded and called out. "Pardon me, sir, but I cannot let you take him."

"Jeez…he really is a polite son-of-a-gun," I heard Banshio tell Kaoru.

The so-called hit man chuckled, shook his head and went on with his business.

"Sock 'em, Himura!" Banshio said to me.

I sighed. The things I have to do…I moved forward, not even bothering to unsheathe my sakabatou, and I whipped it behind the thug's knees. He folded to the ground, spilling Kyosuke and himself on the road.

He growled, struggling to get up. "I'll get you for that, you midget!"

"Oro!" I exclaimed. I know I'm not what one would call big, but midget? That's a bit of an exaggeration, I think. "I am requesting that you stay down," I said while Kyosuke tried to crawl away.

The man roughly rolled Kyosuke off him and stood up to full height. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

Do I have to announce myself every single time? How many people in Japan had red hair, purple/yellow eyes and a cross scar on their cheeks, anyway? It's not that I'm vain enough to suppose that I'm that notorious, but I'd rather not re-introduce myself out-right. "It does not matter," I said a tad wearily. "Sessha cannot allow you to take my companion."

The man grabbed a fist full of Kyosuke's hair and lifted him a bit. "Oh, you mean this piece of shit? You're defending a guy who couldn't settle his accounts honorably? I'll tell you midget, you're working for the wrong side."

"Yes. Er…I mean…" Oro! "I'd rather not fight you."

He chortled and looked at the growing crowd. "Can you believe this guy?"

No one can really blame these tough guys for never taking a puny man like me seriously. I mean, I never really looked threatening, even with the golden eyes, I think. When I get that way, my opponents are usually frightened because they knew me as Hitokiri Battousai, but without that knowledge, I think I just look like I'm ill.

"Of course you'd rather not fight me!" Responded the goon, letting go of Kyosuke's hair and striding towards me.

I gave another sigh. "Please stay back, sir," I attempted to warn him.

"You better listen to what he says, buster," Kaoru said to the man, her frown endearingly calm amidst the less-than-calming situation.

He scowled in her direction. "From where I came from, bitches aren't allowed to talk." Then he spat on the ground in front of her.

Kaoru looked at the wet blob that just missed her toes by inches before rolling her eyes around and saying, "Ho boy…you are SO asking for it…"

And how true her words are! He can't get away with disrespecting her!

I growled and glared. Another person trying to piss me off this week. What the hell is the deal? "You will apologize to her, you worthless piece of-"

"Oh so now you're angry. Neat trick with the eyes, midget," he said, chuckling.

He reached out to grab the front of my gi. What…is he attempting to collar me or something? What an idiot. Spare me the drama. I'd rather get this the hell over with.

It's a three-step process.

Step one, avoid the opponent's weapon. Step two, pull out my sword. Step three, break his arm with it.

And there he was, writhing in pain with three simple steps.

Banshio grinned. "That's what you get for dissing Hitokiri Battousai's woman."

"Banshio!" Kaoru hissed at him.

My eyes swerved to Kaoru, and I realized at that instant that I had lost control, in defense of Kaoru's honor, of course.

I groaned, seeing the look of terror on the man's face upon finding out who I was…am. "Sessha has done it again…"

Eyes wild with fright, the man took off as fast as he could. I was so bothered by it that, I almost wanted to call out and apologize to him.

Kaoru stepped up beside me and gave my back a sympathetic pat. I could see her stifling a grin. "It's alright."

Kyosuke moaned, his eyes closed tightly in pain. "Did you see the carriage that ran me over mother…?"

"I swear!" Kaoru growled in frustration. "Among the six of us, you're the lousiest actor!"

Kyosuke opened his eyes quite lucidly. "Is he gone?"

Banshio shook his head in disgust. "I'm outta here. I'll see you in your hotel rooms in an hour with my things, then we can head out. Kaoru-san, I could not understand how you could bear being with that fool," he remarked, nodding towards Kyosuke.

"Neither could I," Kaoru muttered. "Kenshin, I'm really sorry you had to go through all that…"

I was about to tell her that what mattered to me was that she was okay when Kyosuke interjected with an irritating: "What are you worried about him for? Ryobe barely touched him!"

It should not even surprise me that Kyosuke knew that goon's name.

Banshio scoffed and waved to us lazily while separating from our party. The rest of the crowd disbursed, but their confidential whispers to each other and their dagger-looks in my direction told me that my introduction had not gone unnoticed. The coffee shop attendant hovered in our midst, wondering how he was going to bill us for the food.

Noticing him, Kaoru gathered her composure and settled accounts.

I turned to Kyosuke and gave him a disapproving look. "You are making this trip as difficult as possible."

Of course, Kyosuke continued to play the victim. "You weren't the one body-slammed, Himura. So quit complaining."

He really does not get it. "Sessha could have been in Edo right now. Sessha would have been more productive there and…"

"And?"

And I would have had Kaoru all to myself. "And sessha would not have to deal with thugs and such, Kyo-chan!"

Kyosuke glared at me but said nothing in response.

We waited for Kaoru to finish paying up then headed back into the hotel.

It's been two hours. Banshio has not yet arrived.

"What the hell's keeping him?" Kyosuke muttered impatiently.

Kyosuke had joined us in our hotel room, and we were all somewhat fidgety from waiting so long. Frankly, I'm a bit worried. What, indeed, could be keeping Banshio?

"Maybe he's changed his mind," Kaoru suggested, her face leaning on her palm as she lay on her stomach across the bed.

"Fukushima Banshio may be a lot of things, but he ain't wishy-washy," Kyosuke said.

Something about Banshio has been nagging me from the very beginning. "What kind of man is Banshio-dono?" I asked somewhat ponderously.

"Cunning," Kyosuke replied immediately. "Really smart. He's the smartest one among us, I believe."

"Very useful to our cause," I commented. "His name suggests Bushi ancestry…"

"Yeah," Kyosuke responded with a nod. "Banshio came from a pretty wealthy bushi family, but they lost everything before the upheavals, and Banshio grew up poor. His parents raised him pretty well though. In spite of the poverty, he could pretty much keep up with Yasushige's breeding if he wants to. And from Banshio's stories…whew, the father sounds like a wacko…don't tell him I said that."

"What do you mean his father's wacko?" Kaoru asked.

"Bushido family…" Kyosuke said.

Well, that may explain a lot about the "wacko" part. Of course, it's a matter of perception.

The really old Bushi have a tendency to be passionate about their ideals. Jin = develop a sympathetic understanding of people, Gi = to preserve the correct ethics, Chu = to show loyalty to ones master, Ko = to respect and to care for ones parents, Rei = to show respect for others, Chi = to enhance wisdom by broadening ones knowledge, Shin = to be truthful at all times, Tei = to care for the aged and those of a humble station…honorable ideals, I must admit. But some of these doctrines are taken to the extreme. Particularly with Gi, Chu and Chi.

"But Jin, Gi, Chu…these are good things," Kaoru said.

"It depends on how they are ingrained into the psyche," I told her.

Her look may as well have asked: "What are you trying to say about Banshio?"

"But it is inconsequential," I added rather hastily, hoping that she does not detect my feelings of unease. "It only means that Banshio-dono will not go back on his word, and it explains how he is somewhat of a gentleman." I smiled at her, hoping that the manners he displayed to Kaoru the day before would sidetrack her from my musings.

"Then why isn't he here yet?" Kaoru asked pointedly.

I nodded, ready to address the issue head-on. "We will go to him right now. Something must have kept him and frankly, I am worried."

Kaoru's eyes perked. "Worried? You think something might have happened to him?"

"Maa…" I said. "Sessha is sure it's nothing. It just gets boring waiting here and doing nothing."

I should have stopped with "nothing". I have never felt bored in near twenty years. Patience is indeed one of my virtues. And though Kaoru has only known me for two, she can tell that my last statement was a lie. I am not as good an actor as Kaoru is. Which stands to reason why I was made Hitokiri, and not sekkou.

"Let's go then," Kaoru said sullenly, pushing herself to her feet.

Kyosuke blinked. "Did I miss something?"

"No," Kaoru answered him pertly as she went around the bed to gather her things. "Let's just go."

Something about her tone made Kyosuke shut up, and silently, we made our way out of the room, leaving the hotel to head towards Banshio's part of town.

We saw the fuss from afar, and when I realized it was centered on Banshio's flat, my heart sank to my feet. Lengthening my strides, I made my way hastily through the throng of onlookers. Kaoru and Kyosuke followed close behind me.

"No, no, no…" Kaoru moaned silently to herself.

When we came upon the core of the crowd, my fears instantly turned into despair. There was a body laid out lifelessly on the street, somewhat smoldering. It was covered with a sheet, but it was a body, no doubt, and with no other sign of Banshio…

"Oh God," Kaoru breathed, grasping my gi from behind. "It couldn't be…"

Kyosuke cursed vehemently and looked away, almost in anger.

I turned purposefully to a stranger. "Who is that under the sheet?"

The stranger shook his head and bowed. "Banshio-san…he was a good man…"

Kaoru whimpered at the stranger's words and Kyosuke resorted to more violent cursing.

"How did it happen, good sir?" I continued to inquire.

I saw the man's eyes rove for a second, then he lowered his voice to a near whisper. "We all just heard him screaming from inside, then a few seconds later, the screaming stopped and he fell out of his door, in flames…he was already dead."

Horrible…I began to feel sick to my stomach. "Did no one try to help him when the first screams came…?"

The stranger chuckled. "Around here, we keep to each other's business. Besides, the scary man in blue might still have been abroad."

"Scary man in blue?" Kaoru asked, tearing her eyes away from the Banshio's body, which was being loaded on a stretcher by whom we assumed to be the local authorities. A crisp hand had dangled out, churning my insides a bit more.

"Yeah," confirmed the stranger. "The scary guy in blue had visited him before. This was the second time, and a few minutes after the guy left, that's when Banshio started…"

"Can you describe this scary guy?" Kyosuke asked.

"Tall. Brings around a sword, like he was a sword-cop or something. I only saw him two times but he always had a cigarette lit…"

Saitoh? No…it could be anybody…

"Keshin," Kaoru whispered. "Saitoh said he was going out of town. Do you think…?"

I couldn't quite say yes, but it was too compelling to deny! "It could still be somebody else…" Though I did not sound too convinced of it myself. What does Saitoh have to do with all this? Yesterday, he was looking for Kyosuke, then a witness tells me that Saitho may quite possibly have been meeting with Banshio. Did Saitoh…kill Banshio? Is he hoping to corner Kyosuke? If any of my musings have any merit, does he know of Kaoru…

"We have to get back to Edo," I said resolutely. "Immediately."

Kaoru nodded. "Kyosuke, are you coming with us?"

"Hell yeah!" Kyosuke said emphatically. "There's no way I'm going anywhere alone after this!"

Fear knotted in my stomach anew. My Kaoru…she is in so much danger. I cannot let anything happen to her. And the sooner this mystery is solved, the better.

We've tarried enough.

It is now the investigation really begins.


	6. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

Are you taking note of the details? Are you sure you're taking note of the right ones? *Giggle* Well, if you've figured it out, please do not spoil it for those who haven't! *Grin*

Sorry this took so damn long. It's Christmas Season and I've been monstrously busy! Gomen nasai!

Standard disclaimers apply. "Rurouni Kenshin" (c) Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shuiesha, Shounen Jump, and Sony. I do not own RK, pray as I might, every night, it just wouldn't happen that way. No matter how many candles I light, no matter how many chickens I decapitate…

More disclaimers. I would just like to say that although I will be mentioning (and have mentioned) a lot of people who actually existed in Meiji Japan, my account of their lives and personalities are all fictional, except for what I say is true and actual in my closing Author's Notes. Please, no one sue me for libel.

**Chapter Five**

**THE SPY**

Before making our way to the train station, we asked around a bit more. Of course, we tried to be discreet about it, pretending we were merely curious on-lookers. It didn't take much effort to gather information, because everyone was just too eager to give an account of the events. They were all mostly cohesive, saying more or less the same thing. "After the "scary guy" had left the area, the screaming had begun." There were some variations as to the appearance of Mr. Scary, mostly differing in degrees as to his creepy-ness, but one thing was for sure, he had a sword and he held a cigarette.

I am reasonable enough to admit that it could be someone else other than Saitoh. I can even say that if it was Saitoh, it was most probably not him who killed Banshio, considering it was done in the light of day and with the whole ward seeing Mibu's Wolf as the last person to come in contact with the deceased. Saitoh was subtler than that. At least, that's what I think.

With our attention removed from Banshio's carcass, we realized that the apartment itself was smoldering, the fire from inside having been put out, perhaps by his neighbors in a desperate effort to keep the fire from spreading. How odd that the fire had been so easily controlled. One would think that a man in flames, thrashing about in a confined space would cause more fiery damage than that.

We waited a bit longer, hoping that we could get a glimpse of the inside of his flat. When the crowd had cleared and there were only guards left at the scene of the occurrence, I hastened to get Kenshin and Kyosuke into Banshio's apartment.

Putting on my most radiant smile, I proceeded to flirt with the guards posted at the door. From the corner of my eye, I could see Kenshin staring stupidly at my coquettish display. Kyosuke actually had to drag the rurouni by the arm to undertake the sneak-in.

While they conducted their investigation and I let out the appropriate girlish giggles to satisfy my audience, I could not help but think of the events in the hotel room.

Poor Banshio…his body isn't even cold and all I could think about is my relationship with the rurouni.

Well heck, it needs thinking!

Kenshin made such a fuss last night about our sleeping arrangements. I had somewhat expected it, of course, but I didn't think that he would put up such a fight. In the course of my convincing him to take the other side of the bed, I realized that I was being rather pushy…rather desperate. I mean, was it just that I wanted him to be comfortable? Or was it actually that I wanted him to sleep beside me? He's supposed to be my bestest (there is no such word, but I can find nothing else to describe it) friend in the whole world. I shouldn't be having thoughts of sleeping with him, or more accurately, I shouldn't be having thoughts of sleeping with him in the non-sleeping sense.

I don't know what got into me when I spooned with him. Maybe I was too drowsy to give it much thought. The fact of the matter is, it felt wonderful being wrapped in his embrace…

Mou! Why does he have to be so damn sweet , anyway? What were his words again?

"Sessha still thinks the world of you. Never worry that your past will make me think badly about you, Kaoru-chan…" he had said. He had called my name with that utterly-too-familiar-for-the-polite-rurouni "chan". I don't know what to make of my feelings when he called me that.

And that other thing… "…Sessha cares for you too much to take anything against you…" How much does he care? He certainly cared enough not to hate me, but…hell! Whatever!

Kenshin no baka! What's the big idea putting my mind in a jumble?

Or maybe…I'm the idiot for being way too presumptive.

Presumptive or…hopeful?

NO WAY! No way the rurouni could love someone like me! It's not that it's impossible, it's just not FAIR to him! He deserves better! Mou! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!

"Hey! Missy! I asked you what your name was!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at the guard for a second, absorbing his words. It was at that moment that Kenshin and Kyosuke stealthily crept out of Banshio's flat and signaled that they had finished their inquest.

Comprehending the guard's words, I flashed a brilliant smile. "Wouldn't you like to know!" I said with a giggle. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I must go. My father's waiting for me at the dojo."

"Dojo?" Responded the guard with a smug smile. "You practice Kendo?"

"Oh no!" I said, batting my eyelashes at both guards. "Lil' ole me couldn't do such manly things. It's my father. He's Sumo, and he's got an awful temper so I shouldn't keep him waiting."

I saw a flicker of dread in the eyes of both men when I said "sumo" and "awful temper" in one sentence. Hastily, they told me that young girls like me shouldn't keep their fathers waiting for any reason, somewhat scolding me that I was inappropriately wandering the streets alone.

Chiming my goodbye to them, I skittered off in the direction of Kenshin and Kyosuke.

We took a moment to confer in the town plaza to discuss the information we had gathered. Apparently, the boys had decided that the train trip could wait a few more hours. So we talked, mostly about the case, but Kenshin had managed to lecture me about putting myself in a compromising position. "For example," he had said. "Strange men who lose their heads when a pretty girl flirts with them so brazenly." All I could do from keeping my eyes from rolling around was laugh and tell him to stop being so silly.

Once I had gotten Kenshin to shush about the "flirting for the sake of snooping" issue, we got on to more important things. I asked them what they had discovered in Banshio's apartment.

"It was very strange," Kyosuke said ponderously. "The walls and floor weren't all that burnt. Blackened, yeah, but like the fire had really just been confined to Banshio's body."

"Someone must have poured something flammable on him and set him on fire," I said.

Kenshin gave a half-committal shrug. "That is a given. Kyosuke-san and I even smelled traces of burning oil, but why is it that the rest of the flat did not catch fire?"

"Well, the neighbors said that they had hastened to put out the fire inside his apartment," I pointed out thoughtfully.

"Possibly," Kenshin said. "But…sessha noticed something unusual. The second floor. It was drenched with water."

I arched an eyebrow. "Well, it's only natural. I'm pretty sure the second floor had caught fire as well."

Kenshin shook his head. "There were no burn marks to indicate that. And even if there was, it would make little difference. The entire room had been soaked. Floor, walls, ceiling…who drenches a second floor ceiling, not the roof, but a ceiling, when the fire's in the first floor?"

My eyebrows knotted at the implications of his words. "Kenshin, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Kenshin thinks the flat had been prepped not to burn," Kyosuke said in a less than enthusiastic tone. "Why it had been prepped, I don't know. Probably to keep the fire from spreading to the other homes, but why do something like that if you're the killer? I'd say that's mighty considerate of whoever he or she is."

I shook my head. "It makes no sense," I said. "I'll ask you again, Kenshin. What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Sessha is not quite ready to discuss it," he replied.

What kind of an answer is that? I know something's been brewing in Kenshin's mind after we met Banshio, but the rurouni was so subtle that I could barely decipher whether it was really there or whether I was just imagining things. Then Kenshin had all those questions about Banshio this morning after breakfast. What's he thinking? I'd have to ask him in private. Whatever it is, he was reluctant to discuss it in front of Kyosuke, that much I am sure of.

Kyosuke raised an eyebrow then took a deep breath. "I think we should check out the body. I've read a paper done by some wacko scientist from Europe saying that crimes can be solved through the examination of a victim's body. It was entitled Dead Men Tell Tales. It sounds crazy, but at this point, it's worth a damn try."

Is he serious? Even if there was any merit to Kyosuke's words, don't we need a doctor for something like that?

"Sessha would like to see the body too," Kenshin agreed.

Two against one…what a no-brainer.

I sighed. "Fine. Now tell me, how do you propose on doing that? We don't even know where the body is right now."

Kyosuke scoffed. "The years have dulled your instincts, Kao-chan. You should have flirted the information out of the guards. It'll be too obvious now if you go back to them…"

I scowled, knowing he was right and hating the fact. "I don't have to flirt with those two particular guards again to get that information, you know. There are other guards I can pull a Delilah on…"

It was Kenshin's turn to frown. My, aren't we all just in a good mood today?

"Kaoru, sessha cannot let you put yourself in that situation again…"

I just knew he'd make a fuss about it. Delilah is a biblical character in Catholic and Hebrew scriptures who used her feminine whiles to extract the secret of a divinely strong warrior named Sampson. She had seduced Sampson to disclose the source of his power. I don't know if Kenshin knows who Delilah is, but I can pretty much conclude that he had figured Delilah wasn't exactly virtuous.

"Don't worry about it, Himura," Kyosuke said. "Bamboozling is Kaoru's specialty."

"I resent that!" I cried, my hands going to my waist. I don't know for sure why I had found what he said offensive. Perhaps…he had tickled a nerve? About pretending

It didn't help either that Kenshin had given me this look.

"Eh?" Kyosuke promptly responded in perplexity.

"Anyway," I said, waving off his confusion. "I'll do what I have to do, Kenshin. I can take care of myself. I'm also an expert at bailing out, so don't fuss."

"Sessha does not like it one bit," Kenshin said stubbornly.

I tried to ignore him while hustling them both to get a move on. I really just wanted to get out of Yokohama so we can go back to Edo. Goodness knows what's happening back home. I'm already getting worried about Yahiko and the others.

Taking it from the scene of the crime, we followed the trail of the body by asking various by-standers. It took us less than an hour and a half before a kindly old woman pointed us in the direction of a small patch of open ground just a bit off the edge of the business district.

Before we even got to where the woman had directed us, we could make out something burning in the distance.

Kenshin and Kyosuke quickened their paces. Being in my restrictive kimono, I had to hasten my steps to keep up with them.

Damn! It's times like this that I wish I could just hitch up my skirt and take big, comfortable strides. But people in Japan make such a big hullabaloo about ankles. They'd probably scream bloody PRUDENCE PATROL if I show legs.

In their pursuit to body snatch, my men practically left me behind.

Gritting my teeth to forestall my words of irritation, I ambled to catch up to them. "W-Wait up, you guys!" I cried.

I saw them halting in their tracks ahead of me, just behind a small crowd, and before I could thank them for waiting, I realized that they had stopped because the scene had struck them.

It was apparent from where we stood that the bonfire was a pyre. Someone's body was being burnt to ashes, and ten to one, it was Banshio's. The two men who had hauled off Banshio's body earlier on a cot were standing nearby. The stretcher had been rolled up and set aside.

Amidst the smoke and flames was the most astounding sight of all.

Saitoh, Mr. Scary himself, stoically watching the cremation, contributing to the smoke with the cigarette he held.

Saitoh shifted.

"Shit!" Kyosuke hissed. "Hide!"

And hide we did, placing our persons behind the other onlookers as casually as we could.

"Goddamit, he is here!" Kyosuke whispered in my ear.

"Now don't panic," I said. "He doesn't know we're here-"

"Saitoh's out to kill us!" Kyosuke shrieked silently.

I felt him grabbing the sleeve of my kimono frantically.

His hysteria continued. "He knows we're the brats who took his precious Shinsengumi down. He's out for revenge! Retribution! He'll give us the ole Aku Zoku Zan and we'll be totally done for!"

Grabbing his arm, I pulled him from the crowd.

He went on. "I just bet he's got that May 1869 incident branded into his brain, and it's fueling his need to get rid of the lot of us. It's a psy-game! He's doing us in one by one, slowly but surely, so that we'd be…"

I swung back my hand and made it connect with his cheek. I had hit him hard enough to make his face swerve, effectively shutting him up.

Holding his dishonored face, he scowled at me. "Hey! What's the big idea?" He demanded.

"Get a hold of yourself!" I hissed. "Don't you dare freak out on me!"

I heard Kenshin give his signature "Oro!" behind me.

Glaring at Kyosuke, I waited for his response.

I could see him finally calming down. "Sorry…I was just…sorry."

"It's alright," I said, nodding my head. "It can happen to anyone. I'd expect you to do the same to me when I begin to show signs of losing my marbles."

"Yeah, and then get the crap beat out of me by your boyfriend slash bodyguard," he grumbled.

"Maa…sessha will not beat you so hard, you know."

I turned to Kenshin in mild surprise. Is he responding as my so-called bodyguard or my so-called boyfriend?

Kenshin flashed me his rurouni smile.

Mou! These men are driving me nuts!

Our trip back to Edo was filled with thought. None of us said much, which was just as well. All we had were more unanswerable questions. Like, what is Saitoh's part in all of this? Is he on the same case as we are, or is he merely biding his time before he finished us off?

It would not be like Saitoh to do his dirty work for all to see, but the very thing that made him what he is just might account for it. Saitoh is a self-righteous bastard with his own set of morals. Aku Zoku Zan may have more to do with it than anything else, and it would be consistent with his personality to let the world know that he was teaching the Shikeigai brats a lesson we would never forget. It might lead to his demise, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he considered it his last and finest accomplishment, to eradicate the ones largely responsible for the downfall of his brethren.

I'm itching to ask Kenshin about his thoughts on Banshio, about why he was asking those odd questions about our now deceased friend. Furthermore, I have to know why Kenshin wanted to see the body so badly. Kenshin does everything for a reason. Even his laundry routine serves a purpose greater than clean linen.

I must admit, the silence did eventually bore me. Mt. Fuji through the window of the train could only occupy me for so long, so I engaged Kenshin and Kyosuke in casual conversation, to which both men were not very responsive.

Sighing to myself, I finally fell quiet. I suppose after everything that's happened, neither would be in much of a mood to talk. It was the wild goose-chase, I think, that ticked them off the most.

We arrived in Edo a little more than two hours later. Quickly disembarking, we headed to the dojo, the silence no less troubled from the time we got on and off the train.

Sano and Yahiko were abroad, welcoming us from our trip.

I was pleased to discover that my home had not been wrecked and that it was relatively clean. It seems that I had taught Yahiko well. No chance that the rooster head had anything to do with it.

Yahiko's welcome was thwarted with a frown the moment he saw Kyosuke saunter up behind us.

"Tsubame left some miso here this morning for you guys when you returned," Sano said, a sliver of grass hanging from his mouth.

"That's sweet of her," I said, climbing the porch. "Where'd you store it?"

"It was really good," Sano said without batting an eyelash.

I should have known. "Did you at least share some of it with Yahiko?" I asked him with a disapproving scowl.

"I didn't want to disturb him in his training," Sano replied.

"Greaaat," I said sarcastically, giving Kenshin a knowing glance.

Kenshin smiled placidly and hauled our bags over on the porch.

"What's he still doing here?" Yahiko asked, pointing a rude finger at Kyosuke.

"Kid takes after you, Kao-chan," Kyosuke said, pushing past Yahiko.

Yahiko glared at him and cried, "Hey! Kenshin hasn't invited you in yet!"

Mou! I suppose I'm going to have to resign myself to the idea that the brat considers Kenshin to be the man of the house.

"He never would, so I'm inviting myself in," Kyosuke snapped back.

Rolling my eyes around, I deferred my comments for another lifetime. Why can't these boys just get along? Yeah, I know. I'm one to talk, but at least I acknowledge the fact (once or twice…that's more than anyone can boast) that Kyosuke isn't so bad.

"Why you-!" Out came the shinai.

"Alright, break it up," I said, taking a firm grasp of Yahiko's weapon. "Save it for when you're ready to take on Kenshin."

Yahiko's eyes lit up. I knew that would put him in a good mood. "So, are ya gonna test me today?"

I pretended to give it a thought then shook my head on cue. "Nahhh. Do you expect me to believe you're ready when you've only been practicing for a day? It'll be a waste of time to test you. Ask me again some other time."

Yahiko stamped his foot but did not say anything, well…at least audibly. He was grumbling something unsavory, I'll wager. He stomped off, probably to go to the dojo for more training. It's amazing, but Kenshin's little ploy seems to be working really well.

"Sanosuke," Kenshin called to him with his bright smile. "I trust you did what I asked of you."

"Sure did," said the ex-gangster. "Was busy the whole day, yesterday."

"Oro! You were busy the whole day sending a little message…?"

Sano scowled. "Have you ever tried catching a pigeon in a coop? It ain't easy you know! Not to mention the fact that I had a terrible time trying to attach that message of yours…the damn pigeon didn't like me all that much."

"I suppose…" I began with a glimmer of mischief in my eyes. "…Pigeons and roosters don't always get along."

"Hahaha," Sano said sarcastically. "Very funny."

"Sessha would like to discuss certain matters," Kenshin said pleasantly. "Please settle down while I get the tea."

Quietly, he padded out of the room.

"It's spooky what he can hide behind that polite façade," Kyosuke remarked as he took his seat.

I frowned and knelt in front of him. "It's not a façade. He really is polite. The only reason he gets mad at you is because you keep being such a jerk to me."

Sano nodded. "She's probably right. Besides, have you ever seen him with a real enemy? He still manages to get in those funny inflection endings and honorifics, except maybe when he goes Battousai, but that's pretty understandable."

Kyosuke looked at both of us curiously. "Is he really invincible?" He asked quietly.

Sano and I looked at each other for a moment, and then I spoke.

"No, he isn't. But he is a phenomenal fighter. I'm just afraid it'll catch up on him bad one of these days," I said, my eyebrows knotted. You should see the rest of his scars, I added in thought.

"The guy hasn't killed a soul in more than ten years," Sano contributed. "And I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but that's what gets him so beat up every time he has to fight."

Kyosuke blinked in surprise. "You're kidding, right?"

Sano shook his head. "Nope."

Kyosuke grinned broadly, breaking the solemn atmosphere. "So he can't really kill me for dissin' you, ne Kao-chan?"

I glared at him. "Don't push your luck! He might not be able to kill anyone, but he sure as hell can beat the crap out of you!"

Kyosuke laughed.

A little while later, Kenshin arrived with the tea and we were able to get down to business.

"So did you get to talk to that other guy in Yokohama?" Sano asked us, sipping his tea gingerly.

"Yes," Kenshin replied upon seeing that Kyosuke and I were a bit reluctant to start on that subject. "We spoke with him, but he's dead now."

Sano sputtered on his drink, a bit of his tea spilling on him. "Excuse me?"

"He's dead," I repeated for Kenshin in a sad tone. "We were able to speak to him twice, and then we found him dead outside his apartment this morning."

"Oh my God," Sano said in disgust. "That's horrible!"

I nodded. "It is."

"Well, I hate to sound like a jackass, but did you at least learn anything from him?" Sano continued.

"Nothing from him directly," said Kyosuke a bit hesitantly. "But we have a lot of info about his death…ugh! I tell you…it was more than I needed to know, even if we didn't get to see his body up close and personal."

Just the thought of it makes me shudder.

Kenshin stayed silent, but I once again felt Kenshin was not telling us something. It's very strange.

"Saitoh was there," I told Sano. "Remember what he said the other day about being out of town? Well he was…"

Sano blinked in surprise. "Whoa, hey…Saitoh? What the hell was he doing there?"

"We do not know," Kenshin said quietly. "But apparently, he was spotted twice coming and going from Banshio-dono's apartment, and then we saw him watching Banshio-dono's cremation."

"Cremation?" Sano asked. "Jeez…weeeeeird."

Kenshin chuckled. "Maybe Banshio-dono requested such a burial in his last will and testament."

Ookay…it's SO not like Kenshin to be joking about something like that. Something is DEFINITELY up. My curiosity is killing me! When, oh when can I speak to the rurouni privately about it?

"So what's our next move, Kenshin?" Kyosuke asked.

Interesting…Kyosuke has unwittingly made Kenshin our leader.

"We'll be checking out Nakagura Daisuke," he replied. "But maybe tomorrow. We've had a little bit too much for the day."

"I guess…" Kyosuke responded. "So, are we just going to bum around here the whole day?"

"You may do with your day as you please, Kyosuke-san," Kenshin replied. "But I have some errands to run, and I would like to request Kaoru's company in accomplishing it."

Oh good! Time alone with Kenshin. "Of course, Kenshin," I said graciously.

"Can I come too?" Kyosuke asked.

Damn! I hope Kenshin says no.

"Sessha would rather you didn't," he answered rather bluntly. "It would be much safer and less aggravating for Kaoru and sessha if you hid in the dojo. Sanosuke will stay here to look after you and Yahiko."

"I just knew you'd say that," Sano said in a resigned tone.

Kyosuke scoffed. "Fine. Whatever, Himura. Leave me with an amateur, why don't you. I suppose the zanza will have to do."

Sano arched an eyebrow in his direction and leaned forward in a menacing manner. "You know, I don't really have to protect you, you little piece of shit. Between taking care of you and Yahiko, it's no contest. I care about the kid and I don't feel beans for ya."

"Shees…" Kyosuke said, inching away from Sano. "Koa-chan, it seems you've housetrained all your men pretty well…"

"Want me to sick 'em on you?" I asked him through grit teeth.

"I'm kidding! For heaven's sake…"

I gave him a sneer. "Well then, shut the fu..."

My own voice trailed off as I remembered my promise to keep my Bakumatsu lingo to a minimum. I could even feel Kenshin and Sano's eyes on me, just waiting for me to go foul mouthed again.

"Fluff up…" I finished like an idiot. Oh man…that was so stupid.

Kyosuke burst out laughing and rolling on the floor.

"Nice save, Jou-chan," Sano muttered. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

"Maa…cut Kaoru some fluffing slack."

This caused Kyosuke more hilarity.

"Kenshin!" I cried, truly embarrassed. "I'm trying here!"

Kenshin smiled broadly and stood up. "It has been duly acknowledged. You get top marks for effort, Kaoru."

Why do I suddenly feel like I'm nine instead of nineteen?

"Sessha will be leaving shortly, Kaoru. Will you really accompany me?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied immediately. Anything to steer away from Kyosuke's infernal cackling.

Kenshin nodded. "Very well. Sanosuke, will you be so kind as to settle Kyosuke-san in the spare room and bring our bags to their proper places?"

"Next thing you know he'll be asking me to do the laundry," Sano grumbled, using one hand to grab our luggage.

Taking this as an affirmative response nevertheless, Kenshin gestured for me to walk with him.

Ignoring Kyosuke who was still spasmodically laughing on the floor, I sauntered over to Kenshin's side so we could begin his so-called errands.

It was obvious from the beginning that Kenshin wanted to talk to me about something, but it was rather surprising that he would bring me to the field patch connecting to the riverbank. In its own way, the wide space ensures that no one would hear us, but the calming effect of the river's constant flow, the few couples scattered about and the animated figures of some children playing in the distance made for an intimate atmosphere.

I was beginning to feel a bit nervous.

Kenshin picked a soft thatch of grass and knelt on the ground, pushing aside some dried twigs and pebbles on the space beside him, and then he looked up at me with his rurouni smile. "Please have a seat, Kaoru-dono." That "dono" put me at ease at once, but I chided him for it anyway. "Mou! There you go again!" I scolded, taking the place he offered.

"Maa…maa…this unworthy one is still trying to get used to it," he said, tilting his head to the side to look at me.

I refrained from saying that he had been so comfortable calling me "chan" last night. "So what's this about, Kenshin?"

He was going to start, then he hesitated.

"Kenshin?" I prompted him.

His eyes altered. Not the color, but there was a certain gleam that spoke of changing ones mind, like it had gone from one decision to another. Like I said, I'm pretty good at interpreting expressions, but I could only go so far. I'm not a mind reader, and in spite of my skills, I still cannot be sure if there was any indecision there at all. It may have just been a sudden memory on his part that popped up and just as quickly went away.

"Kaoru, I'm sorry about what happened to Banshio-dono," he suddenly said.

I blinked. I had certainly not expected he'd say something like that about Banshio. "Yeah, well, I hate to say it but I didn't know him well enough to really grieve. He seemed like a good guy, though. And he is a person. For that alone, it's sad that he had to die."

He nodded. "There was something about Banshio-dono that bothers…bothered me," he said quietly.

I chuckled. "I could tell."

He was astonished by this. "Could you?"

"A lot of times you are a mystery, Kenshin, but I'd like to think I know you well enough to sense some things about you," I said. "You had all these questions about Banshio this morning, and then you…wanted to see his body? What was up with that?"

He pulled his gaze from me to look at the river. "It is a long-shot but…I think Banshio may have known more than he let on. Perhaps Banshio…"

His voice trailed off.

I waited patiently.

When he did not go on, I leaned forward. "Yes?"

"He was a good man," Kenshin finished.

Forestalling a sigh, I let it go. It would be useless to pry. Kenshin is not fickle-minded, and once he has decided not to tell me what's on his mind, then he wouldn't until he saw it fit to be divulged. So then, what are we doing here? It seems to me that he didn't bring me here to talk about Banshio…

"Do you think Saitoh knows of you?" He asked me.

The mere thought of it made my stomach knot in anxiety. "Maybe…likely. But I hope not. I have these scars on the back of my thighs, courtesy of Saitoh. Sometimes I can feel the welts on my fingertips when I bathe, and it reminds me of how cruel he was. I'm not afraid of him when he talks to me, but I think if he ever shows signs of attacking me again, with a whip, I'd pass out from sheer terror."

"I will not let him harm you, Kaoru," he said in quiet resolution.

I cocked a smile. "I'm quite sure of that. But tell me, Kenshin. What if Saitoh does have something to do with all this? What are you going to do?"

"It depends," he said ponderously. "If he is actually solving the crimes…I would give him my full support, and I would use my connections to muscle my way into the investigation."

I chuckled. Go figure.

"But," Kenshin continued. "If by some strange twist of fate he is actually responsible for the murders, I will use my connections in another way."

There was no need to ask what "way" he was talking about. "Are you planning to find out whose side he's on then?"

Kenshin shrugged and then sighed. "It would be of little use. We would never know for sure until the end. Do you understand what I mean by that?"

Yes. I do. In the Saitoh-esque circle of life, the wolf can actually manage to work for both sides, hence getting what he wants either way, a garou finally sated by his brutal sense of justice. Prosecute the murderer or annihilate the Shikeigai…he could have both without having to answer for the deaths.

Forcing a smile to my lips, I placed a light hand atop Kenshin's fingers. "Bah…we don't need his help. We can figure this out by ourselves, ne?"

His palm shifted upward to clasp mine. His fingers twining with my own. "Sessha is afraid of the price we'd have to pay for that…"

Blushing, I desperately tried to ignore the effects that our intimate contact was having on me. "We won't let it get to that, ne? We'll protect each other…" I made a motion to pull my hand back.

I felt his grip tighten, and when I looked up at him, the gleam I had seen before he had started talking about Banshio shone clearly in his gaze. This is the real reason he brought me here.

Could it be? Would he really? Maybe I can let him…and let myself…

Oh no…oh no…what is this? What is he going to say to me? What…what am I thinking?

"Kaoru…" he began slowly. "…Chan…"

OH KENSHIN NO!

Never minding his grip, I swiped my hand away, getting to my feet abruptly. "You know what? I'm hungry. We've forgotten about lunch! Poor Yahiko! He must be starving. If it weren't for that rooster head, we would have had some of Tsubame's great miso. Come on, Kenshin. I'll cook something up at home. I promise to make it taste good. Nothing toxic this time, ne?"

Oh God! Just keep rambling, Kaoru. I told myself.

He stared up at me, with hurt in his eyes…

Kenshin you idiot! I'm sorry…I'm so sorry! But you shouldn't. You just shouldn't! I'm NO GOOD FOR YOU!

A smile worked its way to his lips, but the pain in his expression had been permanently branded into my mind. None of his clueless grins could hide it anymore.

Perhaps I'll never know what he was going to tell me, and maybe I'm just being presumptuous, but that look…it could mean a world of wonderful things I could not hope to be worthy of.

It bears asking however, why do I feel like I'm making such a big sacrifice?

**THE HITOKIRI**

My lips feel strained. I'm tired of smiling so much, but what would anybody have me do? It felt so much like a reject, though I had not lost hope. For a split second, I had seen something in Kaoru's eyes that fueled my need to tell her how I felt.

She's in the kitchen now, preparing a late lunch for all of us. I had offered to help her but she insisted on cooking alone. She suggested that I check the laundry because Sano might have stuck his own dirty clothes into the pile while we were away.

I could have told her that the laundry can wait, but I was more inclined to take a hint. She did not want to be alone with me.

Maybe it had been too soon after all.

What she said, about sensing things about me, I had not thought her intuition was that strong, unless of course…she was having the same thoughts.

I chuckled to myself. That would be wishful thinking. She already said before that she had only been pretending…

"So Himura," called a voice I already knew to be Kyosuke's. "D'you finish your errands?"

He sat beside me on the porch, tucking his legs beneath him as he made himself comfortable. I normally did not like his company, but at this moment, his notorious insensitivity was better than having to deal with my somewhat battered emotions.

"No," I replied in half-truth. "I did not finish it, but perhaps I would be able to some other time."

"It's been a harrowing four days for you, hasn't it?" He asked casually.

Goodness…does he really care?

A little groan escaped me as I said, "You have no idea."

"Yeah, well, life's a bitch."

That sounded more like Kyosuke.

"You know what I'm really hoping to gain from all of this?" Kyosuke asked me in a matter-of-fact tone.

Arching an eyebrow at him, I tried to give a correct answer. "Umm…your neck, maybe?" I suggested a tad sarcastically.

He ignored my reply. "Some closure. Just something that would tell me, once and for all, that I could leave my past behind me. Don't you feel that way, Himura?"

It behooves me to think that I have anything in common with him, even if it's probably true. "I do not think it could ever be left behind. To be able to live with it…maybe that's what needs doing…"

"Nope, not good enough," Kyosuke said, shaking his head. "Nightmares…do you have nightmares?"

The last thing I want to do is bond with him. I'd rather not go into such things with him. "I-I'm not in the mood-"

"I have nightmares," he continued, completely disregarding my words. "Usually about Saitoh, and my parents, and a whole bunch of terrible things."

Is it so utterly impossible to have a decent conversation with this man?

"And in the dreams I'd cry for help and no one comes, not for anything," he went on. "It sucks when that happens in real life, don't it?"

"Of course it does-"

"Makes you realize that we truly are alone surviving in this world, ne?" He said, once again interrupting me. "If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself."

I grit my teeth and tried to get my two Sen in. "I would like to believe other-"

"You're kinda lucky to have a family, you know."

I give up. It's absolutely futile.

Of course, Kyosuke kept on talking. "Even if it consists of a brat, a rooster head and that bitch."

"Now wait just a minute! Who are you calling a-?"

"When it comes down to it, even if we are alone, it's good to have a bunch of people who just might be able to lend a hand."

"Oro!"

Kyosuke got to his feet. "Well, it's nice that we had this talk. Your words have inspired me to go on."

What words? I barely got to say anything!

"You ain't such a bad guy when you don't have your sword to my throat, Himura," he said. "I'll remember your advice. I think I'll go harass Kao-chan in the kitchen now."

He's an idiot. I thought as I watched him walk away.

Wait a minute…harass?

I got to my feet in a hurry.

Kaoru will need my protection.

My eyes flew open in the darkness of my room.

How long has it been since we all went to our respective rooms to sleep? Not so long I'll wager, probably an hour or two.

It barely matters. I could feel his presence. What was he doing here at this time of night? I would have to ask him.

Getting out of bed, I grabbed my sakabatou and stepped out of my room, not caring if I was dressed in my sleeping robe.

I scanned the front lawn.

No, the gate is locked. He wouldn't be able to get in unannounced unless he climbed over the wall. He's outside.

Quietly, so as not to disturb anyone else, I made my way across the stone path and opened the gate.

Just as expected, a billow of smoke greeted me.

"Took you long enough," Saitoh muttered, standing calmly beyond the threshold.

Through the moonlight, I could make out the shadow of his tall and skinny form, the glow of his cigarette complimenting the golden shimmer of his eyes.

His ki emanated no immediate threat. Although it was alert, I could tell that he had no intention of doing anything untoward. However, I wouldn't put it past him that should I give him reason to draw his sword, he would be more than willing to take up the challenge.

"What are you doing here this late?" I asked, sounding a bit irritated. Now that I sensed no danger, I allowed myself the banality of being annoyed for being roused from my sleep unwontedly.

"Aren't you going to invite me inside, Battousai?" He asked, his voice conveying a sneer.

"I'd rather not," I said grumpily, stepping out in the street with him. "You have already disturbed me. I do not wish for you to disturb Kaoru and Yahiko as well."

"Fine, be that way," Saitoh responded. "I'll have you know that I had no intention of speaking with Tanuki or the brat. I came here to talk to you."

"For what reason, pray tell?"

"How much do you know of Tanuki-chan, Battousai?" He asked.

I fell silent. It took all of my skill to control my own ki. I did not wish for him to know how much his question had rattled me. "Enough," I replied neutrally. "That is a strange question, Saitoh. Why do you ask?"

"I find it hard to believe that you do not know the answer to that," he responded, sucking on his cigarette. "You do know she's in danger, don't you?"

My silence, I imagine, spoke volumes.

"I know who she is, Battousai."

His tone made my heart jump, and on instinct, I clasped the hilt of my sakabatou, the steel clicking faintly inside its sheath.

"If you touch her…" I growled, glaring at him. If he even dares…I'll cut him so quick he won't even know…

"No need for that, Hitokiri Battousai," Saitoh said with a chuckle. "Unless you really want to, you know I'll be more than happy to oblige, but I have more important thing to do right now. I have no intention of harming her at this time, though I have to admit, I'm hankering to teach that philly of yours a lesson for being the deceitful bitch that she is."

"State your purpose, garou," I said, not loosening my grip on my sword. "You're boring me with your innuendoes."

He scoffed. "I wish you'd call the rurouni back, if only for his patience."

The rurouni has no place in this conversation. "Get to the point," I snapped.

"Very well," Saitoh said, blowing out more smoke. "I need her for bait…"

Rage came over me.

This son of a bitch doesn't know what he's taking about. "How do you intend to do that? Dangle her on a giant fishing pole? Saitoh, in case it hasn't crossed your sadistic brain, Kaoru is vulnerable enough as she is. She's bait whether or not I want her to be so. However, I would not, in any case, make that fact official for your ends. I will not allow her to be subjected to such a thing. Find some other way to draw out the killer."

"I had hoped to use Kyosuke, because I knew this is precisely how you'd react," Saitoh said smugly. "But you insist on hiding him, now I'll have to find him all over again, and unless I do so, I will press you for Tanuki-chan."

So, Saitoh doesn't know Kyosuke is right here in the Kamiya dojo. But considering Saitoh's reasons, maybe I ought to turn the little nuisance over.

"Kaoru has no obligation to help you," I said.

"If she'd rather get killed before we catch the ones doing this…"

"She'd be in more danger under your custody," I put in curtly. "I'd rather not trust her well being to you, Saitoh. Your conflicting interest on the situation doesn't leave much to be desired. I will take care of her myself."

Saitoh pulled his gaze away from me. I could tell that I had displeased him. "Have it your way, Battousai. If you'd rather work against me than with me…"

"I work for Kaoru alone, no one else."

Saitoh chuckled. "Does she know you're stark raving crazy about her?"

"I'm working on it."

He flicked his cigarette away and turned to leave. "Guard her well, Battousai. Though I doubt if that will do any good. She'll be killed while you're not watching."

I vaguely remembered Banshio mentioning something about people and the things they say. "Back in the Bakumatsu, I would have considered words like that from Battousai a threat…" he had intoned.

This isn't the Bakumatsu, and Saitoh isn't Battousai. He's Mibu's Wolf, in the Meiji…a combination that has proven to be dangerous in its inherent incompatibility.

The warning has been duly noted, but whom should I be wary against?

**THE SPY**

Helpless…so helpless…

Bound by fear, stronger than I.

Scarlet. Unyeilding.

I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything, even with the blood. Gods…especially with the blood

. Faces forgotten,

But forced into memory.

Best be forgotten.

I don't want to remember. Remembering has brought me nothing but pain. I could do nothing to make it stop, except maybe to forget.

The scream of a child,

Needles through my tender ears.

Silence it…oh please…

It was piercing, and nothing but my own howls could drown out the sound. A macabre chorus that fueled the torment.

Wipe the blood off,

You were powerless, too weak.

Wash off the traces.

If only I could.

Louder than the screams

The whimper of suffering

Potent for the guilt

Makes the blood stain deeper. There was nothing I could do. I was helpless…

Ceiling.

I'm looking at the ceiling of my room.

Oh, thank God I'm awake. Thank God it was just a nightmare.

I gathered my senses, realizing that I was gasping and panting for breath, perspiration making my robe a bit soggy.

Ugh! I'm not certain what a dream like that can do to my sanity, but it sure is a bitch on silk!

Sighing, I got out of bed to change into more comfortable clothing.

Silently so as not to disturb anybody (because heaven knows these paper-thin walls betray everything!), I opened my clothing trunk and rummaged for a fresh robe.

I was startled from my task when I saw a shadow shift outside my room.

Cautiously, on my hands and knees, I crawled towards the door.

I was plenty nervous. With Banshio's death being so fresh in my mind, paranoia certainly abounded with a vengeance, and as I got closer and closer to the shoji, my thudding heart doubled in the intensity of its beating. I was almost resigning myself to my fate when I managed to slide my door open. Through the crack, I caught sight of the bright red hair.

Sighing in great relief, I shook my head and stuck my head out of my room.

There was Kenshin, leaning on the wall beside my door as he sat. On guard I imagine. The sakabatou he held only added to the effect.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him in a slightly drowsy voice.

He looked up at me, promptly startling me out of my sleepiness when I came upon the vicious glow of his amber eyes.

"You need protection," Battousai answered me in his gruff drawl.

When he offered no other explanation, I sighed and settled beside him, comfortably leaning against the frame of the door. "So…what was it that made you decide to do this?" I asked playfully. "Nightmare? An awful memory? Both?"

"Saitoh," he replied.

Again, he made no further explanation.

One of the down sides to his being Battousai is that he doesn't talk much.

"Kenshin, we don't know for sure if Saitoh is the bad guy in this one," I pointed out, just in case he's forgotten.

"We don't know for sure he isn't," he said, right back at me.

Mou! I couldn't sleep knowing he's right outside my door, wide awake and guarding me! "Kenshin, go back to be-"

"No."

Jeez…what a grouch Battousai can be.

"Then I'll stay right here with you," I said stubbornly. "I'm not going to get any sleep anyway, knowing that you're out here."

Making myself comfortable on the threshold of the door, I sat there, hoping that he would change his mind seeing that I needed sleep but was too bullheaded to get back to my futon.

He did not say anything.

I can be just as quiet.

So quiet, in fact, that a little while later, my eyes drooped of their own volition.

The last thing I heard before completely passing out was the voice of Battousai, bidding me goodnight.


	7. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

This isn't ending any time soon. I'm just hoping I don't bore any of you with this. How are you liking the romantic angle so far? Too much? Not enough? Ehehe...there are two things in this story that I've decided to leave open-ended (meaning, it isn't mapped out in my head), one is the romance and two is...well, that's a secret. One of you readers know about it already, because she managed to ask the right questions. However, I didn't divulge much, did I? On the angle of the romance, you must all know that I have a free reign with it. I can basically do anything I want with the mush/sexual "tense-up"/love-conflicts as the mystery goes along. It may or may not be intertwined in the plot. I dunno. I haven't decided yet. Heehee...So many ways to go, so much fun!

With regards to any lemon that may occur in the story, I have decided that I will keep the version R rated, meaning any lemon in this story will not be found here, BUT said lemon will be attached to a link I will subsequently provide readers with on the text. ^_^ It's not that I'm shy or anything like that (What, me? Shy? Shyeah, right!), it's just that I'm giving consideration to the readers who began this story based on the R rating and not on an NC-17 rating.

Again, sorry this took long. It couldn't be helped. It had much to do with the Christmas season and me being dragged out of town (with no PC) unwontedly. This is the improved format. Goodness...took me a while.

Standard disclaimers apply. "Rurouni Kenshin" (c) Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shuiesha, Shounen Jump, and Sony. I do not own RK, pray as I might, every night, it just wouldn't happen that way. No matter how many candles I light, no matter how many chickens I decapitate...

More disclaimers. I would just like to say that although I will be mentioning (and have mentioned) a lot of people who actually existed in Meiji Japan, my account of their lives and personalities are all fictional, except for what I say is true and actual in my closing Author's Notes. Please, no one sue me for libel.

**Chapter Six**

**THE SPY**

Of course, when I woke up, I was in bed. I should have expected it. Not because I sleepwalk or anything like that, but because Kenshin is around, and...well, that pretty much sums it up. That man would make a good mother if the gods would permit the phenomenon.

So today we will be seeing Nakagura Daisuke. Whether he will talk about his wife's death is something yet to be known. Frankly, I'm not expecting much from the visit. I mean, I have it on good authority that men do not like talking about the death of their wives.

Sneaking a peek at Kenshin on the breakfast table, I tried to steel my thoughts away from that aspect.

I wonder if Kenshin is thinking the same thing, though.

He's all right now. Back to normal, so to speak.

What had gotten him so angry last night?

He had mentioned Saitoh. One would think that's a no-brainer. Saitoh getting Kenshin angry, as if that was *reeeeeeal unusual*. But there is more to it than that. All I had to do was ask him, of course, but then would he answer?

I ought to give it a try, anyway.

"Oi busu!" Yahiko cried, a bit of rice shooting out of his mouth. "When are you gonna test me?"

His demand snapped me out of my musings and I turned to him haughtily. "When I think you've trained enough," I replied. "It's only logical that you're not ready to take on Kenshin after practicing for just two days. Even Kenshin had to train for years to become the master that he is."

"What?" Yahiko exclaimed. "Are you expecting me to wait years before you test me?"

What an idiot. "Of course not. Just keep practicing, Yahiko."

Yahiko muttered a curse.

"Maa..." Kenshin said to soothe him. "Listen to your teacher, Yahiko-kun. She knows best."

Sanosuke, who was of course present for his morning-mooching, was too busy slurping his miso to contribute to the conversation.

Kyosuke sneered. "Don't worry, kid. If I had a teacher who was anything like Kaoru, I wouldn't respect her either."

Yahiko, who has obviously learned to hate Kyosuke in such a short period of time, scowled at him. "Stay out of this," he growled.

Kyosuke merely rolled his eyes around and continued to eat his onigiri. He then spoke to Kenshin. "What's on the to-do list today?"

"Like I said," Kenshin began. "You, Kaoru and I will go see Nakagura Daisuke. Sano will later check if the Oniwabanshu has responded."

"How about me?" Yahiko asked.

"You will continue to practice in the dojo," I told him.

Yahiko pouted. "No fair! I want to help!"

Mou! "Then go with Sano later..."

"I don't need a babysitter!" Yahiko yelled at me, banging down his bowl and throwing down his chopsticks in an eleven-year-old kind of tantrum.

I glared at him. "Obviously, you do!"

I could tell that got right smack in the middle, because he merely glared back and said nothing in response. It was a reluctant submission, but a submission nevertheless.

Seeing that things were resolved for the meantime, Kenshin gave a satisfied nod. "We shall leave for our errands just as soon as I finish with today's laundry."

I stifled a laugh. We mustn't forget our laundry, now must we?

Kyosuke however, shot Kenshin a puzzled stare. "Laundry? Jeez Himura, can't that wait?"

"I will do the laundry because it needs doing," he replied, sipping his tea calmly.

Kyosuke averted his gaze and made air circles around his ear with a finger. I could hear him muttering, "What a loon..."

Well, Kyosuke will never understand how important the laundry is to Kenshin, so I won't even explain it to him. Besides, it would be good to have Kenshin alone in a neutral place like our back yard.

"In the meantime," I said. "I'll be joining you in the dojo, Yahiko."

Yahiko gave a groan but I ignored it.

"You people are nuts," Kyosuke said. "I can't believe you're doing all these mundane things while a killer is on the loose, who by the way, is quite possibly plotting mine and Kaoru's demise as we speak if he or she hasn't planned it out already."

Mou! The melodrama would kill me first before the wacko-murderer does. However, I'll address his issues. "My dear Kyosuke," I said patiently. "We are aware of our delicate situation, but here's the big picture: We have close to nothing, and we need to think things through, if only for a couple of hours. Do...you have any idea where we should go with the information we've gathered?"

"We haven't even gone to Aizu for Taka!" He pointed out in irritation.

I shrugged. "Then go to Aizu yourself. We're not stopping you."

He gave me a suspicious stare. "But we will go to Aizu, ne?"

I looked at Kenshin. Aizu's a long way from here, and it will definitely cost much more to go there. I don't even know if we can afford it.

"We will see, Kyosuke-san," Kenshin said, getting to his feet. "In the meantime, sessha has to attend to the pile of dirty clothes, de gozaru yo."

Kyosuke cursed, and I was in no mood to appease him anymore. Following Kenshin's lead, the rest of us, except for Kyosuke of course, proceeded to our daily rituals.

Kenshin did his laundry, Yahiko and I trained in the dojo, and Sano bummed around, doing nothing, which according to him requires a lot of work. Kyosuke paced impatiently around the household. Though I did not remember him to be very industrious, more like Sano actually, I supposed our impending visit to Nakagura Daisuke was making him frisky.

Nothing but sheer Kamiya Kasshin forbearance got Yahiko and I through his laundry updates. Every ten minutes or so, he would pop his head into the dojo and say, "Himura's half-way through the pile," and then, "Himura's done soaping and I reckon he'll be rinsing soon," and then, "Himura's rinsed half the pile," and "Himura's ringing out the colored fabrics," and so forth.

By the time Kyosuke came around to "He's just starting to hang up the clothes," I'd just about had more than I could take. I ordered Yahiko to keep practicing and declared that I was going to talk to the rurouni, *by myself.*

Pushing past Kyosuke, I made my way down the dojo steps and went straight to where Kenshin was. Just as Kyosuke said, he was hanging the clothes out on poles.

"Kenshin?" I called to him quietly.

He smiled at me, brighter than ever, then went back to his work. "What can I do for you, Kaoru?"

I thought about how I should go about asking him what he was telling me about Saitoh last night. I'm hoping he's more affable about answering my questions now, but I'm still aiming for delicacy. "Why did you...look so determined last night?" There. That's as roundabout as I can get.

"Well," he began, flapping out another sheet of linen. "Saitoh came by last night."

Oh shit. I didn't expect *that.* "Are you serious? Why?"

He looked at me, clutching the piece of laundry in his hands. Concern was written all over his face, the smile gone. "He talked to me...about using you as bait to lure out the Shikeigai killer. He knows about you and Kyosuke-san."

I could say nothing, and I felt the blood draining from my face. I should have known, I really should have known, but it still knots my stomach hearing it uttered to my face.

"Do not worry, Kaoru," he went on, reverting to his chore. "I will protect you."

I blinked. Protect me? Protect me from what? From being used? From Saitoh himself? I need details. "You refused him on my behalf, of course," I said hollowly.

"I refused him, period. I could not be certain how you would feel about the proposal, but sessha...I cannot let you do it."

I took a deep breath to steady my already strained nerves. "Kenshin, you know I'm bait whether or not I want to be, ne?"

He nodded gravely. "Yes, but we know Saitoh could make the situation worse. He has ways. A whispered rumor here and there about a former Shinsengumi captain who has decided to take a righteous stance...how he can have access to the two remaining Shikeigai...I will never trust him."

I decided to be forthwith. "What did Saitoh tell you last night, Kenshin?"

"Oh, things Saitoh is wont to say," he replied vaguely, smiling through something I just know shouldn't be smiled about. "So you see, Saitoh is on the case. I don't know if that helps our cause or...well, I just think we should be careful."

"Haven't we, been careful I mean?" I asked him.

"Probably not enough," he replied. "I'm considering whether Sano ought to be assigned to keep an eye on the wolf."

I scoffed. "Good luck keeping that a secret."

Kenshin chuckled. "Sano will handle it in his own way. Perhaps a little transparency will do more good than any more skeletons, if you'll pardon the pun."

I arched an eyebrow and said nothing in complaint. Instead, I said, "That's what you've been thinking about while doing your chores, isn't it?"

He chuckled again while he hung up the last piece of linen. "Well, perhaps doing the laundry did give sessha a lot of opportunity to think. But there are selfish reasons as well. I desperately needed to do something that was not off kilter. Something to assure me that our regular life is not yet entirely caught in the whirlwind."

I felt the full force of his words. Things have changed, and will continue to change. Is this what the Meiji is all about? Constant reformation? Is it so bad, that Kenshin would grasp the mundane for the slightest semblance of...repose?

"You are tired of all this," I concluded with a sinking heart. Perhaps this was too much to ask from him after all.

He smiled. "Tired, you say? Not in the least. I would never tire of protecting you and yours, Kaoru. At this point in our lives, it is what I live for."

How can he manage to be so heartwarming in this terrible time? "Kenshin, I really don't know what I'd do without you," I said quite sincerely, a grin beginning to spread on my lips.

"Perhaps die of indigestion, de gozaru yo."

"Kenshin!" I cried, holding down a smile.

"Maa...maa...I forgot. You're a master chef."

"Kenshin!" I cried even louder.

"Now that the washing is done," he said with a straight face, ignoring my protests while wiping his hands on his apron. "I am ready to go to Daisuke-dono."

The initial plan is to pretend that we were visiting Miyori, unaware of her death. The story is simple. Kyosuke is travelling on business and he happened to pass by my home, telling me that we ought to call on "Junko" (Miyori's Shikeigai name) since she didn't live too far away. I, supposedly not knowing she lived anywhere near the area because I did not know she had married Nakagura Daisuke, immediately agreed, amazed that I hadn't known the close proximity of our abodes. Though it may be weird that I never knew Miyori had taken up residence nearby, the oddity of it was possible, considering nobody knew Miyori and I knew each other. Also, we had decided that we would be using our real names. Kenshin and I did not live far enough to assume that Daisuke has not heard about the great Hitokiri Battousai taking up residence in a dojo two hours away on foot. Not to mention the fact that the dojo's teacher happens to be a woman who has adopted an ex-yakuza pickpocket and allows a former-streetfighter slash ex-ganster to feed off her measly income. Considering Kenshin's red hair, scar face and sword (known to be reverse-edged, by the way) is hard to miss, we would do less damage being open about our true identities rather than conceal it and be caught with our pants down, especially if Daisuke knows about the Shikeigai.

On the aspect of Saitoh knowing that we were snooping...well, he'd find out whether or not we told the truth to Daisuke, so the truth would either set us free or get us killed. And once again I say: Life's a rabid bitch.

According to Kyosuke, Miyori and Daisuke have a three-year-old daughter, so Kyosuke prepared something for the little tyke should she show up. It might help in softening up the father in our quest for what I consider to be delicate information.

I still do not know how we were going to broach the subject of "dead wife" to the husband. I know from experience that not only will it be difficult, it will not be pretty either. And even with my "vast wisdom" when it comes to probing for dead-wife tales, I couldn't really tell them, "Step aside, amateurs! I've done this before!" taking as reference my experience with Kenshin, because goodness knows, I'll wager my sword arm that no two situations of the kind are alike. Besides, it took a crazed lunatic with white hair, a diary and ten years of guilt before the Kenshin-gumi got to the crux of that affair. Granted, this situation probably has a lunatic as crazy as the other one, I'm betting the lack of white hair, a diary and ten years of guilt is the least of its difference.

Now we are on our way to Daisuke's home, taking a longer route because we had to be as inconspicuous as possible. Of course, Kyosuke had a lot to say about it.

"Quit complaining," I told him haughtily. "You're the reason we have to be discreet. Apart from the fact that Saitoh's looking for you, might I remind you that the Aizu mob wants your head as well!"

"Look, the word that I'm being protected by no less than Battousai has gotten around," Kyosuke replied just as loftily. "And frankly, even the great Saitoh would think twice if he saw me traipsing around Edo with Battousai."

"I do not recall making a resolve to protect you against the garou, Kyosuke-san," Kenshin quipped.

"Always the kidder, ey Himura?" Kyosuke said, slapping Kenshin on the back twice.

"Oro!" Kenshin sputtered in surprise, struggling to preserve the mochi we had brought along as a gift, after which I could see Kenshin forming a glare that could have struck Kyosuke dead if Kenshin had dealt it with a little bit more potency.

"Be that as it may," I said, stepping between the two men. "I wish you to be quiet. It's such a nice day, and when you talk too much, you have a tendency to ruin things."

"Hey!"

A teeny-tiny grin peeped out of Kenshin's lips. Oh, the rurouni liked that.

I don't care what other people say. I prefer my gentle and polite rurouni to have a little mischief in him. He'd be boring if he just kept de-gozaru-ing and oro-ing all over the place.

Between being caught in my thoughts and Kyosuke's periodic bouts of silliness, I hardly noticed that we had been walking long, and soon, we were standing in front of Daisuke's home.

The gate was about as high as my own, back in the dojo, but I could tell from the perimeter of the walls that the property was just enough to accommodate an average sized house, probably with the same floor areas as mine, minus the dojo.

"Well?" Kyosuke asked.

"Well what?" I responded stupidly. I was reluctant to start, considering I had no idea in hell how we were going to extract information from Daisuke.

Kenshin was more proactive. "We knock," he simply said, rapping his fist against the surface of the gate.

We stood before a young man, a bit older than Kyosuke and myself. Devilishly handsome with light brown hair cut short, like Aoshi's. His eyes were deep black, so intense that I could swear that his gaze was penetrating our very skulls. He's tall, and fit.

What a dreamy guy, and if I weren't so partial to red hair, I could have drooled on the spot. Mou!

"Nakagura Daisuke, I presume?" Kyosuke asked.

The man arched an eyebrow and gave each of us a suspicious glance, ending with Kenshin and the sakabatou at his sash.

"Yes, I'm Daisuke. What can I do for you?" He said.

I could see Kenshin fidgeting. Apparently, his proactive-ness had worn out at this point, probably because just like the rest of us, he hasn't quite figured out how we were going to go about this.

I might as well begin my stint. "We are good friends of Junko-san and we have come to pay her a visit. I had not seen her in such a long time and I just recently learned from my travelling friend, Kyosuke-san, that she lived in the area. Had I known of it before, I would have come to see her much sooner."

I smiled broadly and waited for his reaction.

Daisuke's face took on a melancholic expression. "I am very sorry, but apparently you haven't heard. My wife passed away last year."

I gasped, prompting Kyosuke to act as shocked as I was. Kenshin merely looked away. He is not as good at acting as Kyosuke and I so he demurred from doing anything more complicated.

"My goodness!" I exclaimed. "How? She was so young!"

"'Twas an illness," he replied somberly. "I am very sorry you came all this way for nothing."

I gave him a bow. Kenshin and Kyosuke did likewise.

"Please accept our condolences," I said. "We cannot express our regret enough. I remember her to be a wonderful woman."

Daisuke nodded. "She was."

I gestured to the plate Kenshin held. "Consider this mochi as a token from us to your family. Please, good sir, it's the least we could do for awakening such sad memories."

"Thank you," Daisuke said, accepting the mochi.

Then he said nothing more. He is expecting us to say our farewells.

I was racking my brain for a means to continue this visit inside his home when a small voice broke through the solemnity.

"Papa?"

All of us looked to the source and saw the child, a beautiful little girl with the same silken locks as her father's.

I'd hate to use her, but we're desperate.

Looking to Kenshin for something akin to permission, he gave me an affirmative nod.

Well, here goes nothing.

"Oh my! What an adorable little lady!" I gushed, crouching to give her one of my most innocent stares. It worked like a charm.

The child instantly smiled at me, though she stayed behind her father's legs.

"Ah! I came prepared in case a young host or hostess was abroad!" Kyosuke said, fishing something out of his sleeve.

I was impressed upon seeing that he had pulled out animal origami of a crane, a rhino head and a rabbit.

"Wai!" Cried the girl-child in delight, snatching the paper concoctions from Kyosuke's fingers.

"Soushi," warned her father with tender warmth he had failed to hide in the gentle reproach. "What do you say to the nice man?"

Shyly, Soushi bowed primly, holding the origami to her chest. "Thank you, sir," she piped, her cheeks aflame.

I saw Kenshin flash a genuine smile. This he could handle. He loves kids, and this one was even easier to like than most.

"Oro! How very polite Shoushi-dono is, de gozaru yo!" He remarked.

Soushi giggled. "He talks funny!"

"Soushi!" Cried Daisuke, mildly horrified.

"Is that so?" Kenshin asked, endeared by her frankness. "Well, sessha has always been strange, de gozaru yo."

Soushi giggle even more.

Daisuke sighed, obviously embarrassed by his daughter's roguishness. Though still not smiling but nonetheless more affable, he gestured towards the house. "Would you like to come inside? Some tea before you make your way back," he offered.

Bulls-eye! Nothing like winning over daddy's little girl to win over the doting daddy. Of course, when she's old enough to attract young men, I'll wager that formula would be radically reversed.

"Thank you for your kindness," I said, making another bow. Now that he's being nicer, I'm beginning to feel a smidgen of guilt because we were being so deceptive. "My name is Kamiya Kaoru. This is our companion Tenshio Kyosuke and this is my dearest friend, Himura Kenshin," I said while presenting them.

He stared at Kenshin for several seconds then he chuckled, breaking his silence. "Hitokiri Battousai and the woman kenjutsu instructor who took him in. The townspeople love talking about the two of you, though I don't believe half of what they say," he quipped, his tone bereft of malice. "However, Junko never mentioned she knew either of you."

Is he on to us? I wondered briefly if Miyori ever told Daisuke her real name.

Kyosuke's eyebrow had already arched in my direction and Kenshin was once again looking affected by the fact that his reputation preceded him.

I decided to see this to the end. "Oh, Junko-san was never friends with Kenshin. She knew Kyosuke and I, during the Bakumatsu."

I was pushing my luck, mentioning the Bakumatsu, but if he knew who we were, it was better to have it out in the open. However, I was banking on the possibility that "Junko" never told Daisuke about her secret life. After all, Nakagura Shinpachi could have killed her in spite of his rumored bastard son's love for her.

Something akin to understanding crossed Daisuke's face. "Junko didn't like talking about the Bakumatsu much, and I doubt she would have told me about any acquaintance she may have with Hitokiri Battousai."

Kenshin gave Daisuke his brightest smile. "This unworthy one is no longer Hitokiri, good sir."

Good. Kenshin's still hanging in there.

Soushi laughed, unaffected by her father's aloofness. She was oblivious to words like "Hitokiri" or "Battousai." Bless her innocent soul! "He's so funny papa!" She squealed.

"He wasn't always like that, sweetheart," Daisuke said with just a hint of contempt. "Now go play with your paper animals."

Soushi sped away to heed her father.

Perhaps our welcome had ran out so soon...

"I didn't expect to receive such distinguished guests," Daisuke said to us, stepping aside and pushing the gate to open it wider. "Please."

Not so put off after all.

What is going on inside his mind? It was highly probable that he had no idea just how special our relationship to Miyori was, but it was just as probable that he knew nothing about us.

Taking his gracious invitation, we made our way inside then let him walk ahead of us.

"How did you happen to meet Junko?" Daisuke asked us, leading us to his receiving room.

You're on, Kyosuke, I thought.

"Oh," Kyosuke began smoothly. "She was travelling with a group of soldiers and she stayed in Edo for a couple of months. Kaoru and I met her while she was here."

He and Miyori had been stationed together here in Edo, so among us, he is the most capable of stretching the truth about her friendship with us. Kyosuke had been called Haruna of course, so it was unlikely Daisuke would recognize him by name, or even by face, because Kyosuke had never really spoken to Daisuke before.

"Quirky, that Junko. Always talking literature. A real bookworm," continued Kyosuke.

Daisuke cocked a cold smile. "Yes, she did like her poetry. Please make yourselves comfortable while I get us some tea."

He left us in the sitting room.

"Do you think he knows who we really are?" Kyosuke asked us in a whisper.

"Not unless he has anything to do with the deaths," I whispered back. "How about you, Kenshin? Picking up anything in his ki?"

Kenshin nodded gravely. "He is hiding something. His ki feels strained, and it's not because I was Hitokiri Battousai."

Kyosuke scratched his head. "Weird. D'you think he killed his own wife?"

"Oh, don't go jumping to conclusions again," I scolded him in a low tone lest we be heard. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you didn't trick the Ishinshishi into believing you're a genius."

"Hey!"

I turned away from them and let my eyes scan the room. It was mostly bereft of frills, as traditional Japanese homes tend to be, but there was one distinguishing factor. On the wall facing the door were shelves lined with books and scroll boxes. Most of them had English characters branded into its spine, tinted with various inks to make them decipherable at first glance. I could also make out German words and Russian characters. There were Japanese texts as well, and the Chinese characters were confined to the scroll boxes.

At the top of the shelf, a Japanese inscription was carved into the wood.

*"Yo no naka wo

nani nagekamashi

yamazakura hana

miru hodo no

kokoro narisuba."*

[Check A.N. (1)] "Why do we suffer so in the world? Just regard life as the short bloom of the mountain cherries," I read out loud.

"It's composed in the old way," Kenshin remarked.

Kenshin, it seems, recognized its style. Waka is the precursor of haiku. Fascinating that Kenshin knows that.

"It seems rather sad, ne?" I commented, a bit sidetracked by Kenshin's knowledge of any art not involving the wielding of a bladed weapon.

He was about to say something in response to my observation when Daisuke's voice came from the door.

"Most people would think so," said our host. He was carrying a tray, which held a pot of tea and cups. "But the author's daughter would say otherwise."

"The author is...?" I asked, truly curious. The poem is lovely, if not very cheerful.

"A woman called Fuji, but known as Shikibu Murasaki," he replied, setting the tray down before us and taking his place.

I know the name, and genuine interest came over me. "Tales of Genji," I said, referring to the first novel ever published in Japan, perhaps in the entire world, before the time of printing presses. Tales of Genji was compiled during the Heian period, under the reign of Emperor Ichijou and Regent Michinaga. It is an engaging piece of literature.

Daisuke nodded, somewhat impressed that I know about it. He gestured to the upper left-hand corner of the bookshelves. There, beside the thickly bound Tales of Genji was Diary of Shikibu Murasaki as preserved by Katako and Diary of Katako. Katako is Murasaki's only child.

"Those are Junko's most prized books. The poem at the top of the shelf is Murasaki's 'death poem', as her daughter Katako-sama phrased it. And as she said, she considers the poem to be joyous. It's one of Junko's favorites because she found fascination in the fact that the poem has mystery. Junko is quirky, as Tenshio-san said."

"The name Soushi," I put in sociably, hoping to make him more comfortable. "It is the name of the Empress who brought Murasaki to court as a lady in waiting. Emperor Ichijou's second wife."

Daisuke nodded again. "Empress Soushi gave birth to two emperors. More importantly, she was responsible for compiling the Tales of Genji. Junko thought it only fitting that the person responsible for putting together a great novel and thus bringing joy to many should share her name with our daughter."

He must be a fan of Murasaki as well to give in to his wife's literary whims.

"So how are you and Soushi holding up by yourselves?" Kyosuke asked. "Without Junko-san, of course."

His question lacked delicacy, but I shouldn't have expected less, or rather more, from our resident Thick-Skin.

Of one mind, Kenshin and I merely smiled through our grit teeth, hoping our clueless demeanor would blunt the sharpness of Kyosuke's words.

Daisuke frowned slightly, but he replied with civility. "We are doing quite all right. Soushi misses her mother, but she is a brave child, considering the death was so sudden."

Kenshin nodded solemnly. "Sessha will wager it was cholera. My parents were taken in the same manner, and just as quickly, good sir."

"Well, it wasn't cholera," Daisuke said. "It was actually a strange disease. The doctors could not explain it."

I could see Kenshin watching him intently as Daisuke spoke the half-truth, so I spoke to distract him from Kenshin's penetrative gaze.

"It's very fortunate that whatever malady Junko caught did not get to you and Soushi-chan," I said, sipping my tea calmly.

Daisuke looked at me pointedly. "We were very careful," he said, as if I should have known it already.

What a sullen man he is. I wonder if anything makes him happy.

On that account, this mission is proving to be difficult. We could not seem to get past any of his barriers. Though Kenshin has told us that *something* was not being said, that doesn't help us much either. Maybe we ought to come out and say it, telling him out right that we did not believe the "strange disease" diagnosis of the doctors.

I can usually summon patience when it comes to gathering information, but I cannot see myself moving into Daisuke's household to wheedle secrets from him like I used to do with the Shinsen-gumi.

The desperation I felt was quite irritating, and I was seriously considering blowing our cover when I saw Daisuke's eyes looking at the door.

Following his gaze, I saw Soushi with her origami along with what seemed to me as several paper dolls. She squirmed a bit, blushing awkwardly.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Daisuke asked his daughter.

"Soushi wants to ask Funny Man to play," she said, lifting her paper toys to her face shyly.

"Soushi," Daisuke said in disapproval. "Himura-san is quite pre-occupied at the moment."

"Oh but Himura-san would never deny a lady anything," I quickly said, an opportunity presenting itself to me that very instant.

Though I find it abhorrent of myself to use children in any way, this might be the only means to get what we need without arousing any more suspicion. "Would you, Himura-san?" I continued, eyeing him pointedly.

Kenshin looked a bit astonished by what I had said, responding with his signature, "Oro..."

We locked eyes for a second, and I ardently prayed he would not hate me for making him do this. Did he understand what I needed him to do? So convinced was I that this may be the only way to get the information we needed that I was about ready to volunteer myself as Soushi's playmate.

But Kenshin did not fail me. "Of course this unworthy one would honor both ladies' faith in me," he said, rising to his feet.

The relief I felt was slight, for though I know he knew what I wanted to be done, I could not be sure if it had diminished any respect that he might have had for me.

I turned to Daisuke. "He's very good with children, Nakagura-san. It will do both of them good."

"Will it?" Daisuke asked with a hint of amusement. "Quite frankly, the good deeds of Himura-san which I have heard he is apt to do of late are many. Trusting him with children is one of them."

Kenshin smiled and bowed before leaving with Soushi.

Emulating Kenshin's smile, I tried to push down the feeling that I had done something very bad, but it could not be done. It was fantastically horrible of me to subject Kenshin and Soushi to such a deception.

Soushi, so innocent and pure...I was that child once. Maybe not as inculpable, maybe not as pretty, but that just makes it all the more unforgivable, because if I, tainted and dishonest as I was...am, deserved better than to be used by the Ishinshishi for their ends, then Soushi, by far, deserves better than being used by a jaded bitch.

**THE HITOKIRI**

We had little choice in the matter. Kaoru should understand that.

I saw the guilt in her eyes over having to make me do this.

In that split second glance we shared, she was already asking for my forgiveness, forgiveness for something that could hardly be considered deplorable.

She has created a moral standard, which is harder on her own person than it is on anyone else. Why does she judge herself so harshly? How can she equate the Ishinshishi's deviousness with her own slight deceptions? But it would be like her to do so.

That woman thinks worse of her herself than she ought.

Before she revealed her secrets, I thought I was the most self-depreciating person ever to walk Japan. It is disturbing to find out that there is someone worse at it than I am, not because I like being the worse, but because it is Kaoru, the very woman I love for her courage, should be so afraid to think herself worthy. Will it always be this way? Is her own refusal to be happy with herself my true rival for her passion?

"This is Prince Genji," Soushi began, handing me a paper doll of a very distinguished-looking Japanese statesman. "And this is Fujiwara Korechika." She then handed me a western-garbed soldier. "And this is Lady Koshoushou...Lady Murasaki...Fujiwara Sanenari...mother named them herself, from her books." (2)

"From her favorite books?" I asked, referring to the set Daisuke had pointed out earlier.

Soushi nodded. "Mama always tells Soushi stories, and Soushi plays them on toys."

I took it to mean that she applies the tales on her paper dolls. "Tell me a story then, so that I might be familiar with it when we play."

Soushi smiled and nodded. She pulled me to one of the stone bird feeders in the garden, carved into a small house with a roof. The windows gave the birds access to the food. The house sat on a stone base, and the whole apparatus was about Soushi's height.

Ordering me to settle right in front of it, she placed her paper dolls on the ground, including Kyosuke's origami, and plucked a new doll from beneath the stack. This one looked like the cut out of a woman from a photograph.

"Is that your mother, Soushi-dono?" I asked her gently.

She shook her head. "This is Auntie Ikue, Papa's half-sister. She's a witch."

I blinked. "Oro! A witch, you say? Surely, only in the game...?"

Most likely a stern aunt to earn Soushi's child-like disdain.

"Oh, but Auntie's bad," Soushi said, sticking the Ikue-doll into one of the windows of the birdfeeder. "Daddy said so."

I was frowning now. Soushi certainly didn't sound malicious. She was stating it like it was a fact. "Is that so? Perhaps your father was joking."

"Nooo," Shoushi continued, placing the paper dolls in some kind of position on the grass. "Daddy sent her away, because she made mommy die."

"P-Pardon me..." I said, feeling flustered out of my wits. "She...made Miyori-dono die?"

Soushi nodded.

It was only then I realized I had used her mother's real name, and she recognized it. I should not be surprised that Miyori told her daughter her real name, but then...that hardly matters.

It is preposterous. I have been too much among murders and secrets and dramatic revelations... "How did she make Miyori-dono die?"

"A spell," Soushi replied, speaking in an exaggerated mysterious tone. "Magic words. She said she learned it from the wolf."

My stomach twisted.

No. She spoke of spells, for goodness sake. And a wolf...a wolf!

Preposterous! Ridiculous!

"Soushi-dono...where is your aunt right now?" I asked cautiously.

Soushi smiled. "In her loo-loo bin castles. With men in robes..."

"You've been there?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nooo, but Auntie drew pictures of it. Soushi kept them for dolls. Funny man want to see?"

I looked towards the sitting room where Kaoru, Kyosuke and Daisuke were seated, immersed in an animated discussion. Daisuke had his back to me, and I hoped he'd stay that way for a few minutes.

"I would very much like to see them please," I said.

Soushi ran off to fetch the pictures.

Is there anything to what the she is saying? She would not lie, but she sees things through child-eyes. It could very well mean something else, or nothing, for that matter.

Keeping a cautious gaze on Daisuke, I waited for Soushi to return. She appeared moments later with thin sheets of parchment that looked rather worn (and torn), probably from constant handling. Handing them to me, I quickly fixed my eyes on the illustrations.

The first picture showed a rundown facility, dreary by the dark clouds shaded into its background, drearier still because of the unkempt foliage climbing up the stone walls of the perimeter gate. On a wooden plank just outside the sturdy gate were the words Kitakata no Anshouji (3). I recognized it as a temple in Aizu, which had been converted into a field hospital during the Bakumatsu. It may not be big enough to accommodate "patients" for long periods of time, but there were a few private storehouses surrounding it. The rich owners of such storehouses lost the usury of their own property during the Bakumatsu, forcing them to abandon not only their warehouses, but also Kitakata itself. I saw a date at the bottom of the sketch. The artwork is older than Soushi, meaning Ikue's insanity, if she really is insane, has been plaguing her even before Miyori's death. Perhaps it was that mental condition that drove her to do things...she shouldn't do.

The second illustration showed a Temple not too far from here. It was the Zojo-ji Temple (4), with a few monks standing about on the front lawn. I recognized it by the historic Sammon gate, its three sections representing each stage for the attainment of Nirvana. With the property's high perimeter gate, numerous Temples, abundant cherry blossoms of spring and tinted leaves when autumn came around, many frequented its buildings. This was drawn on the year of Miyori's death. Apparently, there had been a transfer of some sorts. I did not know they had turned the Temple into something of an asylum. Or maybe they didn't. At this point, I could not be certain of things having learned them from a three-year-old.

"Here, Soushi-dono," I said, giving back the sketches to her. "Keep these. They look like they need to be kept."

Soushi smiled and nodded. "We play first! Let Soushi tell you the story of the witch who lived in a magic cuckoo's nest..." she began, pointing to her Ikue paper doll tucked into the birdfeeder window.

Well, the child couldn't have phrased it better than anyone else.

"Is the battle won, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, crouching down beside Soushi and me on the grass.

My alter-ego, the paper bunny, was in the midst of defending a turnip from the greedy hands of Fujiwara Korechika, Aunti Ikue's henchman.

"Madame, fly! Fly with the turnip!" Soushi cried, shoving the paper crane into Kaoru's hand.

Quick to take her cue, Kaoru immediately went into character brilliantly, making swooshing sounds of a bird in flight and then dazzling the child by launching into a swiftly made poem.

*"The crane belonging to the sky and light

Swooped to save the turnip's virtue

With the breath of the gods to aid its flight

No greed nor goodness could successfully pursue."*

She recited in a lulling voice.

Soushi was uncontainable in her delight, permitting such an elegant end to her little paper-doll skit.

"It's the least I could do," she said, patting Soushi's head and looking at her tenderly.

Ah, a token of her guilt. Kaoru...Kaoru...

Kaoru smiled at me. "Can you leave your post, Kenshin?"

"With the turnip saved it would seem so," I replied, as charmed about the poem as Soushi.

I stood up and saw Daisuke and Kyosuke coming up behind Kaoru.

Daisuke looked as sullen as ever, obviously none the better from conversing with them, but he didn't seem any worse. Whatever it was he was feeling, he was not keen on expressing it.

"Did you and Soushi have fun?" Daisuke asked me, his eyes going from me to the sketches Soushi had lying on the grass.

"Of course, Nakagura-dono," I replied, bowing to him. "Soushi-dono has a very fertile imagination. She is a creative little girl."

"Yes," Daisuke said. "A very fertile imagination. Sometimes, she spins tales even I could not fathom, but she is a child, after all. Everything is make-believe. Everything. Flights of fancy."

"Indeed!" I responded with my bright and clueless grin. "This unworthy one wishes he could be half as talented!" The underlying meaning in his words have only served to heighten my suspicions. The child's tales may have merit after all.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Said Daisuke in a flat tone. "Your companions have begged their leave, and since you have finished your skit with Soushi, I'll be wishing you a safe journey."

"That is very kind of you," I said, effecting a bow.

We said our proper goodbye soon after.

Soushi, sweet one that she is, told us to come back.

Though we all smiled at her, none of us made any promises.

"Well," Kyosuke said on our way back. "Did you learn anything from the brat?"

Kaoru scowled at him. "Don't you go calling her a brat, Tenshio. You've no right," she scolded.

Kyosuke raised his hands in surrender. "Jeez...bite my head off, why don't you. It was just an expression. "

"Shut up," she snapped in a huff.

Kyosuke turned to me. "Man, your girlfriend's so cranky. Is it that time of the month already?"

"Oro!" I cried. "Kyosuke-san, I am certain that we all share feelings of frustration regarding this matter. Some more so than others."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Kyosuke. "So what did you learn from Soushi-chan."

"Daisuke-dono has a half-sister," I informed them.

"Great," Kyosuke responded with a sigh. "More useless information. It's bad enough I had to bust my brain just to keep up with that infernally boring tirade about The Tales of Genji..."

"Would you just let me finish, if you please?" I requested in an annoyed tone.

Kyosuke grumbled but said nothing more.

"Thank you," I told him pointedly. "Soushi-chan told me in a roundabout way that this half-sister, Ikue-dono, is insane, and quite possibly responsible for Miyori-dono's death."

Kaoru and Kyosuke looked at me in shock.

"She told you that?" Kaoru demanded, disbelief in her eyes.

I nodded, my feelings of uncertainty abounding. "Quite. Of course, it is entirely possible that she made it up the way she sees things as a child, but I am reluctant to discredit the information so hastily. It just might be true."

"Well..." Kyosuke began, flustered. "Where's the sis now?"

"In the Zojo-ji Temple," I answered. "The child showed me sketches, both of them dated. She was formerly confined to a temple in Aizu, and then after Miyori-dono's death, she was transferred to the temple here in Edo."

"Shit!" Kaoru suddenly exclaimed. "This complicates things. We have to talk to this Ikue."

"Right," Kyosuke put in. "Information from a kook. Real reliable."

Kaoru frowned. "Be more constructive, please."

"According to the child, Ikue-dono told them that 'the wolf' made her do it," I continued.

This got both of them to stare at me again.

A few seconds later, they became more vocal.

"I knew it!" Kyosuke shrieked. "Oh my God! He's crazy! That righteous rage thing..."

"Calm down! It could be anyone, anything! She's crazy for goodness sake. Now you think she's reliable? Talk about double standard..." Kaoru exclaimed, irritated.

"Hello!" Kyosuke yelled, rapping his knuckle on Kaoru's forehead repeatedly.

Kaoru shoved him away. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're such an idiot!"

"I'm the idiot?" He demanded, incredulous. "Well, girl, it takes one to know one!"

"Mou! I ought to-"

Alright, they're at it again. Better to diffuse the situation before they start pulling at each other's hair in the middle of the road. "Calm down, the both of you," I said, stepping between them. "We are not even certain this can be considered a plausible lead."

"We'll go to her, then," Kaoru said decidedly. "The monks might allow us to see her."

"I doubt that, Kaoru," I responded in a gentle tone. "We might have to do it another way."

Kyosuke groaned. "Great...breaking and entering. It's bad enough that I've got that thing with the mob, now you actually want to get me in trouble with the local police."

"You know, it's just like you to shirk," Kaoru told him haughtily. "I'll go with you Ken-"

"Oi! I don't shirk," Kyosuke said hotly. "Keep your judgements to yourself, Kamiya. You can play judge and jury to your own conscience all you want, but leave me out of it!"

Kaoru's eyes misted over.

Oh no. Kyosuke has once again struck a sensitive chord.

She promptly kicked Kyosuke's shin.

"Ouch! You bitch!" Kyosuke cried, crumpling to the ground.

Kaoru stalked off wordlessly, leaving both of us behind.

"Very good, Kyosuke-san," I muttered, taking off to catch Kaoru. "Kaoru...wait..."

Kaoru was walking fast, and I had to jog to keep up with her.

"He's right, you know," Kaoru told me, a trail of tears already going down her face. She swiped them off with her sleeve. "I have no right to make judgements when my own actions have been so fucking deplorable. To use that child..."

"We had no choice," I told her. "It needed doing."

"Oh, that's what the Ishinshishi believed," she said, sniffling. "In the end, it was only the children who contemplates whether or not it was worth all the suffering."

I sighed, taking her gently by the arm to stop her from walking so briskly. She halted at my prompting, standing before me with her eyes drawn down to my feet, her lashes moist. I led us both to a more secluded spot where we could talk without curious on-lookers to over hear us, then I took out my handkerchief. I gave it to her and she used it to dry her eyes and cheeks.

Taking her face in my palms, I made her look at me. "Kaoru," I began in a low voice. "What we did was nothing like the methods the Ishinshishi employed. Do not let your suffering and guilt delude you. We did nothing to endanger Soushi's life, and that makes a world of difference."

"Maybe," she responded, her voice a bit stuffy. "But you cannot discount the fact that the idea to form the Shikeigai came from somewhere, the ends justifying the means. What if...what if all of that became part of me, and little by little, I'm becoming them? What if I start justifying my actions by how they turn out in my favor? Everything is happening so fast, and it's like lately I've been acting on instinct. I don't want to become what I am learning to hate..."

"That will never happen," I told her emphatically.

"How do you know that?" She insisted.

"I just know," I replied. "I just know."

We just stood there quietly, her face in my hands, her eyes looking up at me in hope. It would be so easy to kiss her. But I know that would only bring me disappointment at this time, so I merely brushed my lips against her forehead, enfolding her in my arms after.

Her body tensed, then relaxed.

It would be nice to stay this way for as long as we want, and I was already nuzzling my nose in her hair when we were so rudely interrupted.

"You know, you guys are really sweet. Are you sure you're not, you know, getting it on?"

Kaoru tore herself away from me, her cheeks gone absolutely red. "Up yours, Kyosuke," she said, bumping her shoulder against his as she walked past him.

Thanks a lot, Kyosuke, I thought sourly. My grin involuntarily manifested itself into a sneer. It could not be helped. "You have perfect timing, Kyosuke-san."

He shrugged, smirking. "Hey, I'm an easy guy to talk to. I can arrange for you and Kao-chan to have some serious private time, if you know what I mean."

"I find nothing appealing about a conspiracy, so no thank you." I said. "Leave us be."

"Ohoho...sure Romeo. Whatever you say." (5)

Why did he just call me Roumii-o? These Shikeigai children use so many allusions I could not comprehend. It's like they have a library in their brains. Handy for necessary reference, but just plain annoying when it makes me feel like a moron.

We took the path going back to the dojo, wondering whether we had made progress or not.

As night fell, all of us, including Sano and Yahiko, sat on the porch to talk about matters concerning the case.

"The Oniwabanshu have sent word that they've begun their investigation on Anenokoji Yasushige," Sano reported. "They said it's going to take a while since Yasushige's based in Tango, but they're on it. They'll have something substantial by next week if not sooner."

"Wow. That's pretty fast," Kyosuke remarked.

"Well, they're professionals," Yahiko huffed, lording his knowledge of it over Kyosuke.

"And they ain't making you pay for anything?" Kyosuke asked.

Kaoru grinned. "They owe Kenshin a lot and they're very good friends of ours. They can be depended on and we don't abuse it, so they oblige us."

I nodded. "That is correct. They know that I would not ask their help unless it was very necessary, and they will use all of their resources to come up with something. Because of that, I appreciate their efforts very much."

Kyosuke laughed. "You're the man, Himura! I bet they're the least of your connections."

"I have more connections than you can possibly fathom," I said. I am not bragging. I am simply saying so to shut him up. I'm getting a little tired of his sneering.

"Touché," he muttered.

I recognized it as a foreign word for some Western kendo practice. Fencing, I believe, and I knew it to mean that I had struck him in the right place.

We discussed how we were going to have access to Ikue. Yahiko insisted on taking part, but Kaoru would not let him. It swelled to a big argument, with Yahiko insisting that he was no longer a child and Kaoru telling him that he had better things to do than sneak around playing detective. Yahiko was impossible, finally he threatened to get in on the snooping whether we permitted him or not, saying that he'd be more useful being allowed to take part than if he did it behind our backs.

Kaoru could very well lock him in the woodshed like she did me once upon a time, but we all knew that would only make Yahiko more stubborn, and we also knew that Yahiko's threats ought to be taken seriously. So, adamant as she was against it, Kaoru told him he could go with us when we went to the Temple to ask the monks if we could visit it's inmates, or inmate, if there was only one. We had to ask first, of course. No sense in breaking into the Temple in the dead of night when it might be perfectly all right to visit Ikue during regular hours. If the monks deny us permission, it is only then that we would resort to drastic measures.

Sano chuckled. "I gotta hand it to you kid. You're stubborn."

"I learned from the best," Yahiko said with uncommon wit.

Kaoru and I blinked, and Sano began to laugh. Kyosuke joined him when he figured it out.

We both blushed, saying nothing to deny it.

Amidst the laughter, the gate shrieked, prompting Kaoru to make a face.

"Mou! That thing needs oiling!" She exclaimed. When she looked to see what had caused the gate to create such a racket, she froze.

We were all silenced by the sight of the figure that stepped through.

"Good evening, Kamiya-san."

It was Saitoh.

**THE SPY**

Not good enough, apparently.

"Oh shit," Kyosuke hissed, scrambling to crawl into the house.

"Don't be ridiculous, Tenshio-san," Saitoh said, smoking as usual. "I see you plain as plain. So I was right. You've been here all along. It doesn't take much to smell a rat."

Kyosuke paid him no heed. He edged behind Kenshin, not quite like a frightened child, but more like an adult who didn't want to look too much like a frightened child. Kyosuke watched him warily, his face growing paler by the second.

Goodness, I know Saitoh scares all of us to a degree, but I had no idea Kyosuke practically wet his pants when the wolf was in such close proximity.

Kenshin did not look at all pleased by our visitor. Why should he? Saitoh was never a welcome sight to him. "What are you doing here, if I may ask?"

"I just came to ask you a few questions," Saitoh said, taking his usual police stance and not joining us on the porch. Well, good. I don't want him littering my porch with his cigarette ashes. It's bad enough he'll probably throw his stubs on my pristine front lawn.

"We don't have to answer any of them," said Kenshin, annoyed.

Saitoh shrugged.

What a smug asshole.

"What were you doing visiting Nakagura Daisuke this afternoon?" He asked, not bothered by Kenshin's words.

"None of your business," Kenshin replied.

"And what's it to you, anyway?" I asked him in return. I don't have to be polite to him anymore. He knows who I am.

"That is not of your concern, Naoko," he said, using my female Shikeigai name, which utterly disarmed me.

I felt myself go completely sallow, and along with the instinctive fear that gripped me for a split second, my anger rose, directed towards myself, because I was allowing Saitoh to affect me. "Why should our concerns be yours and your concerns not ours?" I asked impetuously.

"Because I work for the government you brats fought to establish," he replied. "I'm not the one to blame here."

"Saitoh," Kenshin began. "If you expect us to answer questions pertaining to our own affairs, I suggest you leave. We will not entertain them."

"Fair enough," Saitoh replied. "I did not come here specifically to pry. I came here for two reasons. The first is to pressure Tanuki and Tenshio for their consent in helping the law handle this situation."

Sano scoffed. "Using people again? That's so you, Saitoh."

"Why thank you, rooster head. You know I'll take that as a compliment."

Sano shook his head in disgust.

"I've already told you the answer to that, Saitoh," Kenshin said.

The police officer raised an eyebrow. "Yes you did, Battousai, but I'll let the rats speak for themselves."

Kenshin glared at him in indignation. Saitoh's name-calling didn't help any.

I smiled at Saitoh through my teeth. "Gee, if you had asked nicely, I might have, but since you're so rude about it and all, you can just take your little request and leave, Saitoh-san."

Saitoh grunted. "It's not that simple, Tanuki. I can get you for obstruction of justice."

"Of course you can't," I said. "Technically, I'm not interfering in your investigation. I have no legal obligation to do anything for you, unless you get a court order. Can you get a court order for such a thing? I don't think so."

Saitoh stared at me, his face expressionless, then he turned to Kyosuke. "And you, Tenshio. What have you to say? Are you going to weasel your way out of your responsibilities as well?"

Kyosuke jerked, surprised that Saitoh had spoken to him. "Er...n-no! I mean...! I-I'd rather not..."

"Rather not what, Tenshio?" Saitoh asked, pinning Kyosuke with his eyes.

"Y-You know...help..."

"Say that again!" Saitoh barked.

Kyosuke's body gave another twitch. He had no power to stop Saitoh from tearing him to bits.

"Quit bullying him, Saitoh!" I cried, feeling a sudden kinship to Kyosuke. We had both felt Saitoh's hand before, and I'm not going to let him subject us to any form of harassment he may inflict. No matter how much of a nuisance Kyosuke could be, he doesn't deserve it.

"Get off my property. I won't let you impose yourself on anyone in this house. You've already done your worst during the Bakumatsu," I said, summoning all my will power to keep the tremble in me from surface to my voice.

"It was the best way, if you ask me," Saitoh said.

I stood up, my stare shooting daggers at him. I pointed to my gate. "Get out."

Saitoh sneered. "My second reason for coming here is to make you understand that I will do everything and anything to accomplish my goals. Get that into your heads." With that, he gave his bow and turned to leave.

We watched him leave, depositing his cigarette stub before stepping out of my gate and shutting it.

"You alright, Kyosuke?" I asked, noting some beads of sweat forming on his temples.

"Y-Yeah," Kyosuke replied, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

Yahiko peered at him. "Gosh. Can't you get a grip?"

"Kid, you don't know the things that animal can do," Kyosuke replied, running his fingers through his hair. "Man, I need a drink."

"There's some sake in the woodshed," Sano told him.

I did a double take. "How did you know that?" I demanded. I kept a jug of sake in the woodshed for special occasions and for cooking. I hid it there precisely because Sano had a tendency to finish my supply sooner than my budget permits me.

Sano snorted. "Jou-chan, you know me better than that."

I shook my head. He's right. "Well then go fetch it. Kyosuke looks like he's ready to collapse."

"Yes ma'am," Sano replied, eager to partake, I'll wager. He immediately got off his rump to get the bottle.

"Busu, did Saitoh hurt you too back in the Bakumatsu?" Yahiko asked with childish curiosity as Sano jogged to the woodshed.

It was Kenshin's turn to tense. Oh great, now they all need a drink. I swear these men are so volatile.

I sighed then gave my reply. "Yes, Yahiko. Saitoh did hurt me, but I suppose it was easier for me than it was for Kyosuke."

"Puleez," Kyosuke said with a roll of his eyes. "You were screaming bloody murder every time he..."

"Ixnay ethay etailsday oronmay," I interjected, my teeth grit. [Check A.N. (6)]

Yahiko was waiting for him to continue, but having understood my Pig Latin, Kyosuke made a rather lame detour.

"...did things."

"What things?"

"Things," I said, waving off the question. The topic of conversation was not improving Kenshin's mood one bit. "What do you think Saitoh meant when he said he will do everything to attain his goals?" I asked, hoping to have a more progressive discussion going.

"He will use either of you whether or not he has obtained your consent, de gozaru yo." Kenshin said bluntly.

I frowned. Of all the rotten luck...

"Oh," Kyosuke responded. "Bummer."

And that, in a nutshell, is the biggest understatement ever to grace the Meiji.

"And another thing," I continued. "What 'goals' is Saitoh talking about?"

Everyone looked at each other, a thick silence settling.

Kenshin's sigh broke the tension. "Perhaps I will have some of that sake."


	8. Chapter 7

Author's Note:

Wow, that last chapter was pretty long, wasn't it? It was supposed to be longer, but then I decided to fragment the sequence. Currently, on my Word Program, it's 14 pages long. It could have gone up to 18 or 20, depending on how much I felt like rattling off! But as you know, I'm afraid of boring any of you, so I did a bit of adjusting.

Standard disclaimers apply. "Rurouni Kenshin" (c) Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shuiesha, Shounen Jump, and Sony. I do not own RK, pray as I might, every night, it just wouldn't happen that way.

More disclaimers. I would just like to say that although I will be mentioning (and have mentioned) a lot of people who actually existed in Meiji Japan, my account of their lives and personalities are all fictional, except for what I say is true and actual in my closing Author's Notes. Please, no one sue me for libel.

**Chapter Seven**

**THE SPY**

From the beginning it's been nerve-wracking, unsettling at best, but since our visit to Nakagura Daisuke, the uncertainty has never been so strong. I never dreamed that there would be someone else apart from the scope of our knowledge involved with the whole thing. Ikue...do you really exist, or are you a fragment of a child's imagination?

It seems almost silly that we should rely on the tales of a three-year-old, but it seems we cannot afford to write it off as a fancy.

Kenshin told me that Daisuke, in his own subtle way, had tried to convince him not to believe anything Soushi had told him. It could mean that Soushi's words have merit, for why else would her father try to convince Kenshin otherwise? But at the same time, I know we are gripped with fear and paranoia, which means that our musings may be tainted, that spoken words to us would be interpreted to mean something significant, when in reality they may mean nothing.

It isn't just Daisuke, either. The mere fact that Saitoh had asked us about our business with Nakagura spoke volumes, but then it goes back to the same question of what's real or what's congealed. Saitoh may have just been fishing for information, his aims vague, making the haze seem all the more thicker.

Only one thing is for sure. Everyone has a secret to keep. Everyone has a lie to tell. Everyone has a truth to stretch. We have to sift through the whole slush of unknowns, misinformation, and half-truths to get to the core of it, and we're nowhere near being certain of what to discard and what to keep.

This really sucks.

Sano has been assigned to keep an eye on Saitoh. How he'll do it, I didn't even dare to ask. As long as he doesn't get himself killed, I don't care what methods he'll employ.

In addition to all that's been happening, we have to keep up appearances with the rest of our friends. Me, especially. Dr. Genzai and Megumi were already asking why we've been running around lately. We had to tell them that Kyosuke is an old friend of mine, and that we were giving him somewhat of a tour. I'm sure that gave them more cause for suspicion, because we couldn't exactly afford to bring guests to Yokohama and back. And then of course, the word that Saitoh's been coming to the dojo has gotten around as well. None of us could come up with a plausible explanation, so we merely evaded the subject.

Everything's a mess, and I just want to get it all cleaned up, without a trace.

We're on our way to Zojo-ji now, Kenshin, Kyosuke, Yahiko and I.

I wish Yahiko weren't so bent on participating, but the kid has a mind of his own after all, a stubborn one. If only I can take him across my lap and spank him like the child that he is, but that would only make him more determined.

"I'm tired," Yahiko whined, his shoulders slumping a bit.

A chuckle escaped me. He really is a kid. Insisting to come with us only to complain along the way when discomfort arises. Although we have been walking for a few hours..."Want a piggyback ride?" I asked, sincere about my offer.

Yahiko's face screwed. "Jeez, busu. Don't you think I'm already too old for that? I'm eleven for cripes sakes!"

And that means what, to me? He turned eleven and suddenly I couldn't look out for him anymore? "No need to get hysterical," I said, raising my hands in surrender.

I think just to prove that he can handle himself, Yahiko began to walk ahead of us, refusing to acknowledge our adult presence.

"Why do you treat the kid like such a baby, anyway?" Kyosuke asked me.

I frowned. "Well, excuse me for caring!"

"Himura," Kyosuke said, cocking a half-smile at the rurouni. "Her maternal instincts are going gaga. Why don't you knock her up and put her out of her misery?"

"Oro!"

"Do you mind?" I cried.

Then Kyosuke proceeded to give this intensely annoying cackle. He's worse than Yahiko. Honestly! If he starts singing "Kaoru and Kenshin sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," I swear I'll kill him myself!

"Kyosuke-san," Kenshin interjected calmly. "Your tendency to make a mockery of Kaoru's instinct to ...mother annoys sessha. Might sessha remind you that Kaoru is the only one who is actually concerned for your welfare. Appreciate it."

"Oh fer-" Kyosuke began. "Can't anybody take a damn joke around here?"

He stalked on ahead, joining Yahiko in stride.

I raised an eyebrow at Kenshin. "I'm not concerned for Kyosuke...much."

Kenshin smiled. "Keep telling yourself that. However, Kyosuke-san does have a point with regards to your...coddling tendencies."

Coddling? "I do not coddle!" I protested.

A chuckle rose out of his throat. "Piggyback?"

"What's wrong with piggyback?" I demanded.

"Nothing. Just...not for eleven year olds like Yahiko," he replied. "In some ways, he's eleven going on forty, you know."

"Of course I know that!" I lied. What is wrong with these men? Doesn't anyone believe in taking care of children anymore?

I wonder if the kid's shirt has been dampened by his perspiration, though. Lemme see...I packed him an extra gi for the trip...

Kenshin was watching me with an amused grin and I realized I was digging out Yahiko's shirt from out of my pack.

Oh my god...they're right! I am babying him! Well, so what!

Stuffing the clothing back into my bag, I turned away in a huff. "So shoot me!" I snapped.

Kenshin has not gotten rid of that infuriating grin. "There's nothing really wrong with it, de gozaru. It is actually very endearing, but you must allow the boy to grow. It's for his own good. We can adopt another pickpocket if you want. Somewhere around the age of 4 or 5..."

"Quit teasing, Kenshin!" I growled, genuinely irritated.

"Or maybe you can have one of your own."

I turned red in the face. I can't believe Kyosuke has rubbed off on him! "Oh, I'll need a man for that, Kenshin," I said sarcastically. "I sure as hell know babies didn't come from Storks."

He nodded sagely. "That I also know. Babies happen when two people..."

Is he nuts? "Kenshin, cut it out! I know how babies happen. You're creeping me out here!"

"Oro? There ought to be nothing creepy about two people falling in love and making babies," he said in all innocence.

Ooooh! I can just hit him! Now my face is all blotchy... "Grrr..."

He blinked clueless-ly. "Don't you want to have your own babies, Kaoru?"

Of course I want to have my own babies!

Oh, he can't fool me with those innocent amethyst eyes. He's baiting me into blushing, and he's succeeding more than I care to admit! What is it with Himura, anyway? Don't tell me they're hints...

Damn, Kamiya! They're only hints if you want them to be hints! I thought, scolding myself. Besides, he's talking about making babies. Granted, he mentioned mushy-lovey stuff as well, but...

I'm not an old-fashioned gal. No way, no how, but heck...it would be nice to have love and marriage before making babies?

Kamiya, you know Himura isn't a Do-You-Leave-You kind of guy!

Of course he isn't! Kenshin is sweet and caring and...but he's a man. Men can't help being...driven.

That's a totally unfair assessment of the male species! And besides, Kenshin isn't THAT kind of man!

Men are all the same!

No, they're not!

Yes, they are!

How dare you compare Kenshin to those boars in the Bakumatsu!

Well, I CAN'T HELP BEING AFRAID!

"Hentai!" I cried.

"Oro!"

Realizing what I said, I turned even redder. "Omigosh! I didn't mean that! I-"

"Um..."

"I'm the hentai!" I blurted out in my flurry.

Oh shit! That was just awful!

Perplexity crossed Kenshin's face. "Eh?"

I winced. Now how in the world am I going to explain that?

"There's the temple!" Yahiko cried from ahead of us.

Saved by the gods, no less!

I rushed towards Yahiko, and as I walked passed Kyosuke, he sneered and asked, "So did you get to talk to the rurouni?"

"Shut-up," I snapped without looking at him.

We walked through the main gate of the temple and my eyes took in the scene.

The year was turning, and we were fast coming to the end of summer. The Sakura trees that grew abundantly on the grounds of Zojo-ji have begun to shed the evidence of its blooms. Though Sakura has been known to be in full-bloom during the Autumn, here at the Zojo-ji Temple, they prefer to bloom in late spring and early summer, however it seemed that they were destined for a quick death as well.

Some of the buildings on the temple grounds were yet to be completed in their reconstruction. Damaged by the Boshin civil war, many of the structures have lost their former grandeur, but I'm guessing the temple devotees are just glad that the Sammon gate has been left standing.

In the distance, I could make out the small dwarf-like statues splayed out on the side of the main Temple. Their red hoods could have been charming, but frankly, they gave me the heebie-jeebies.

Cute as they were, I couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that they had been erected in memory of the spirits of dead children and aborted fetuses.

Ugh! I'm just thankful that I didn't have to abort anything during my Shikeigai days. The Ishinshishi had a woman in its roster whom I prefer to call, to this day as The Woodwitch. I couldn't remember her name and I don't even care to know, all I can recall is that she provided Miyori and I with the proper herbs to avoid any unwanted pregnancies that may occur during the course of our service. The rape was bad enough, begetting kids out of it would have been infinitely worse. Maybe I would have resorted to abortion if the medication hadn't worked, but I shudder at the mere thought of it.

"Kaoru," Kenshin said, prompting me out of my reverie. "We must get to work."

I nodded silently, trying to figure out how we would begin.

"Hey, cool! Is that a graveyard?" Yahiko cried, breaking from our group to rush towards the macabre memorial I had just recently condemned to Freak-Me-Out-Why-Don't-You Status.

Kyosuke chuckled. "Should I tell him, or would you like to do the honors?"

My upper lip screwed in disgust. "Be my guest."

Kyosuke hurried off in anticipation of Yahiko's reaction to the tale of the Creepy Statues.

"Great. They're sightseeing," I muttered, my mood unsettled by the memorial.

Kenshin smiled slightly. "Perhaps it's better that Yahiko is distracted."

"I guess," I responded weakly. "Should we find the abbot, or something?"

"Any monk would do for the time being," he replied, looking around for anyone who might be in long robes.

It did not take long for us to spot a pair of monks with their beads walking through the courtyard amidst the silent throng of Buddhists. Hurrying towards the two holy men, their calm presence of mind had the grace to stop and wait for us to catch up with them.

They smiled at our approaching figures.

"Hello," said the one who was...bald and skinny...heck, his companion looked almost exactly like him.

"To you, good day," the other one chimed.

Kenshin and I bowed respectfully, returning their greetings with murmured replies.

Chang and Eng, as I begun to call them, flashed even brighter identical smiles. If they had been connected at the hip like their Siamese-Twin namesakes, I would have been less surprised. I bet if P.T. Barnum's circus happened to pass by, they'd give our monks here a second look.

"We do not wish to impose," I began as pleasantly as I could. "But we have come here to pay a most important visit to a friend of ours. We were told that she resides here now."

Chang and Eng looked a bit perplexed.

"She? A woman?" Eng asked.

Oh you know, the female species of the Hominidae, currently of the Homosapien variety. Bears children...has boobs...intuitive...often times smart...that sort. "Why, yes," I replied politely.

Kenshin demurred from any violent reactions himself.

"Here?" Asked Chang in disbelief.

Oookay. Chang and Eng are either the last remaining Homo-neanderthalensis or they really are so far-gone into their monk-lives that the existence of women appalls them.

"Oro!" Kenshin exclaimed. I could tell that even he was a bit surprised by the monks' own astonishment at the mere suggestion of a woman residing in their premises. "We were told she lives here. Ikue-dono?"

At the mention of the name, the monks paled (at the same time, of course, like the twins they are) and temporarily lost all manner of speech.

After a period of silence in which Kenshin and I began to fidget, Chang and Eng turned to each other and conferred in hushed tones.

I looked at Kenshin and raised an eyebrow. Kenshin just shrugged and waited for the monks to speak up.

Finally, the monks turned to us.

"Live here, she does not," said Chang.

Oh, how quaint. Monk-ese double-talk. These guys couldn't lie to save their lives. By referring to her as a person she, they have unwittingly confirmed that they knew who we were talking about, thus increasing the possibility that she does indeed stay here. I suppose, one can say that a crazy person doesn't exactly live.

"But she does exists here, ne?" I asked, aiming precisely.

Chang and Eng froze.

"The abbot," Eng said frantically.

Gathering their robes, they began to make a hasty retreat.

"H-Hey!" I cried, unable to stay myself.

"Oro...they're running away..."

A keen observation, Kenshin.

At this moment, the monks have quickened their pace.

"Come on!" I said, grabbing Kenshin's hand and pulling him with me in pursuit of the pseudo-twins.

"This will not make them happy," Kenshin pointed out, matching my strides.

Tugging at Kenshin to walk faster, I sighed in exasperation. "It took us hours to get here and I'm not about to let Chang and Eng sound the alarm just when we're on to something!"

"Who?" Kenshin asked.

"Chang and...mou! I'll explain later...step it up, Kenshin!"

"Kaoru...we're frightening them," he said.

Well, yeah. Maybe.

Chang and Eng kept looking back, as if to see if they had lost us already. They hadn't broken off into a run, though.

We wove through the walkways, not losing sight of them until they disappeared into one of the many temples of the grounds.

"We better hurry," Kenshin remarked, skittering past me.

Didn't I already say that?

This time, we ran, and when we reached the steps of the building they had entered, we were halted in our tracks by yet another monk who basically looked like Chang and Eng if not for the red sash draped over his shoulder.

I hereby dub thee Ringmaster Barnum.

"I am Abbot Tomokazu," he said sternly.

Darn! I would have liked calling him Ringmaster Barnum. However, without Chang and Eng, who are currently nowhere to be found, that's half the fun gone.

"What business have you with Watanabe Ikue?" The abbot asked, not at all pleased.

I must admit, Abbot Tomokazu was a bit imposing. He radiated annoyance like the bright tints of his robes. Coupled with his monk-scepter, I wondered if he would start swinging it at us to knock us unconscious and throw us out of the grounds.

"We are very sorry to have disturbed you," Kenshin said respectfully. "But we just want to pay her a visit. That is all."

"We're told she gets very lonely," I added.

The abbot stared at us intently, then he banged down his staff with a single thump, jingling the rings looped at the head of the scepter.

Kenshin and I were startled into a jerk. I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only one intimidated by him.

"Her half-brother has not authorized any visits from outsiders," Abbot Tomokazu said. "And I shall not permit it."

"Well..." I began cautiously. "Can you at least tell us which building she's..."

"No!" Yelled the abbot, startling me even more.

I winced. "S-Sorry..."

"Now, I advice you to enjoy the grounds like good citizens of Edo," he barked. "May Buddha bless you."

With that, Abbot Tomokazu turned around and strode back into the building, shutting the door and leaving us at its wake.

I heaved a sigh and sat dejectedly on the steps, propping my chin on my palm while my elbow leant on my knee. "Now what?" I asked Kenshin.

Kenshin shrugged and sat beside me. "Do not look so glum, Kaoru. At least now we know that Ikue-dono does actually exist."

I giggled a bit at his subtle reference to Chang and Eng. "I guess we'll just have to find another way. Can't say we didn't try to do it legally."

"That's one way of putting it," he responded.

Something creaked behind us, like rusty hinges. Being the obsessive compulsive that I am, I frowned at the negligence, vowed to inform one of the monks that the door needs oiling and then was properly surprised to see two heads peeping through the crack of the entrance.

"Oh, it's you two," I said rather grumpily.

Chang and Eng looked quite bothered by my less-than-enthusiastic salute.

"Hello again," Kenshin said, smiling and waving but not getting up.

"Very sorry, we are, that see your friend you could not," Eng said, truly apologetic. "But rules, there are, yes?"

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled.

Kenshin chuckled at my response. "Forgive us, but it was rather disconcerting, the way you ran away from us, like we were contagious."

"Panicked, we did," I heard Chang say, as if it was explanation enough.

They always have to speak in turn, don't they?

"Tour you on the grounds, we could," Eng offered. "If you like, yes?"

This perked my attention. Toured by the two monks who couldn't lie to save their lives...

"That would be excellent!" I cried, getting to my feet. "We'd love a tour! Let me call our companions! Wait right here."

Kenshin blinked at me in perplexity.

"You stay here with them while I call Yahiko and Kyosuke," I ordered him. "We don't want them running out on us again."

"Oro!"

Bossy, aren't I? Well, deviousness does that. I swear I'm condemned to hell. Lying to holy-men, no less! Well, tough! I have a lifetime to live and indeed, I'll be damned before I let some wacko cut it short!

**THE HITOKIRI**

I looked at the monks curiously and saw that they were giving me these goofy smiles...

Do I look like that when I do that? My goodness...if I do, I ought to rethink my little clueless façade. It looks somewhat ridiculous after all.

I doubt if these men have a terrible past to hide, though. Unlike me, they only had to deal with death through the deeds of other men and the divine hand of God.

"You are married, yes?" Asked Monk #1 who, by the way, had eyebrows just a wee bit thicker than Monk #2's. They really didn't have many distinguishing features, so I've taken to numbering them.

Married, he asks? "What made you say that?"

Monk #2 grinned. "To the lady. Kaoru-san. Very pretty, she is."

Oh. Married to Kaoru.

I felt my cheeks flaming and I shook my head. "I'm afraid not."

"Oh? Pretty, you don't think she is?" Monk #1 asked.

"Oro?" What? "N-No! I mean yes! Sessha means...I think she's very pretty. Beautiful even."

Monk #2 nodded sagely. "Ah. Married to her, you're not, but you wish you were, yes?"

I fidgeted uncomfortably. I really don't have to tell them anything. They are mere acquaintances.

Monk #1 squinted at me suspiciously. "In love with her, you are."

"Oro!"

"Well, don't look so surprised," Monk #2 said. "So obvious, you are."

I reddened. "Sessha are? I mean-"

Monk #1 laughed. "Ha! Caught, you be!"

Wha-!

I scowled to let them know that I was not at all amused. "Well it's quite apparent that sessha is not obvious enough. She doesn't get it!"

Monk #2 looked at his companion. "Ah. A difficult one, that woman. Shadows, she has."

How in the world can they know that just by looking at her? Is Kaoru that burdened?

Monk #1 agreed with his so-called brother. "Bad memories, she has. Some haunt her constantly and some she refuses to face. Very difficult indeed, she is."

"Excuse sessha," I said, lest they forget I'm there. "But how did you know that?"

"Interested, are you?" Observed Monk #1. "Not hard to spot a shadowed soul, it isn't. Like you, redemption she seeks."

Oro! Like me? These monks know more than they let on!

"Made for each other, you two are," said Monk #2. He turned to his fellow-monk again. "To each other, light for the dark they be."

"Make her see, you will," quoth Monk #1 as he looked at me. "Like she makes you see, yes?"

"See what?" I asked in slight frustration. These two talk so strangely, even stranger than Aoshi or myself! Turning their sentences around...are they doing it on purpose to sound more...Monk-esque?

"Holy thoughts, the gods encourage," Monk #2 replied. "Un-holy thoughts the gods, as well, permit. Need nourishing, the body, not just the heart and soul, yes?"

I did not think monks were capable of ideas that were anything but holy. "Look here. Telling me to do things that ought not to be done, are you?"

Now they have me talking like them! Oh my goodness...

Monk #1 gasped, shocked by Buddha knows what. "Oh, but done they have to be! Monks, we are. Denial, virtue is for us. Monk, you aren't. Denial, tragic is for you...and her."

"Here, redemption is," said Monk #2, tapping the part of my chest where my heart is. "Here, not." He thereby rapped a fist on my head once. "Love, redemption is. Hesitation, not."

Monk #1 nodded. "Does nothing, hesitation. Only loss. Losing this woman, you'll risk?"

"O-Of course I will not risk losing her!" I cried. I could not believe I am actually understanding these two! "Kaoru is...she is sessha's..."

"Your life, she is, yes?" Supplemented Monk #2. "Then act, you must. Not so slow this time."

"Danger, we sense. Hatred of others, terrible thing," said Monk #1. "Anxiety, we understand, but Hesitation, we do not understand."

Monk #2 smiled at me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Of her, worthy, you are."

I...am?

They nodded together, as if to reply to my thoughts and then they finally fell silent.

**THE SPY**

"So these monks will tell us where Ikue is?" Yahiko asked.

I did not look him in the eyes when I replied, "Not voluntarily, no. But I'm certain they would, with the proper...manipulation."

"Oh I get it," Kyosuke said with a smirk. "Just like old times, 'ey Kaoru?"

I grit my teeth. "Okay. I'd appreciate it if you would just shut up with the reminiscing and do something useful for a change."

"Hey, you didn't have to baby sit this brat while he went traipsing around the temple grounds. If you and Himura didn't run off so fast..."

Yahiko stamped his foot. "I didn't need a babysitter!" He yelled angrily.

Just what I need. Two kids that need babysitting.

After I left Kenshin with Chang and Eng, I found Yahiko and Kyosuke sitting on the steps of the main temple with the young boy bored and the younger boy sulking. Yahiko was upset that we had left him with Kyosuke, and Kyosuke had spaced out to forget that he was with Yahiko. I briefed them of the development within a span of a minute and now we were heading back to our tour guides.

Seeing Kenshin and the two monks from a distance, I could tell that they weren't talking, but Kenshin had this really amazed look on his face, like something had happened which he himself could not make out.

"Ah! Your friends, these are?" Asked Chang as we approached them.

"Yes," I replied. "This is Yahiko and Kyosuke."

Eng smiled broadly. "You, as well, we are pleased to meet."

The boys had the grace to bow respectfully.

"He talks funny," Yahiko muttered under his breath.

I stepped on his foot lightly as I said. "It would be nice to know your names, good sirs," I said to the monks.

They nodded eagerly.

Chang began. "I am brother..."

At that moment, I caught Kenshin's gaze. It was filled with so much tenderness, coaxing me to...surrender? Am I reading him correctly? It hardly matters. The warmth that spread over me and the blush that crept up my cheeks was enough to convince me that I liked the way he was giving me this kind of attention.

I tried to smile at him. "W-What?" I whispered lest I interrupt introductions.

He shook his head slightly but did not avert his eyes.

Tearing myself away from the contact, I tried to focus on the monk's names. By this time, Eng was already beginning to speak.

Oh shoot! I missed Chang's name!

Eng bowed. "I am brother..."

I felt fingers slipping through mine, and my breath actually caught.

Kenshin...

This feels nice, but...I hardly know what to do. Well, maybe I should just do nothing, just let our hands be entwined like this. People hold hands, right? Nothing wrong with it.

It would be ridiculous of me to act coy and silly, because a gal like me has no business being such things. Furthermore, coyness and silliness are just customs many of us women can do without. It's not like some have the right to be like that and some don't, ne? Besides, this is Kenshin. Someone very special...

I'll just let myself enjoy this. Just this once, I can indulge myself. Wonder what's gotten into him, though. Dare I ask?

By the time I had gathered back my senses, I still did not know Chang and Eng's real names and we had begun our leisurely walk to tour the grounds. Kenshin did not let go of my hand.

Kyosuke, noticing our coziness, arched an eyebrow and was about to say something when he was stopped short by Kenshin's warning glare. It screamed, "Make a crack and die!" without need of verbosity.

Kyosuke was at least smart enough to take a wordless hint.

Suppressing a smirk, I tried to concentrate on our current task.

"Monks quarters, that was," Chang said, gesturing to the structure we had left behind. "In summer cool, in winter warm. Luxurious, it's not, but very comfortable, it is."

Eng nodded in complete agreement. "There, important business conducted is. To a temple too, administration essential be."

"Main temple, held the prayers are," related Eng. "Intentions for the living."

"And intentions for the dead," completed Chang.

Kyosuke and Yahiko scratched their heads at the same time.

I giggled. Chang and Eng might as well be joined at the heads. They spoke like a practiced chorus, and frankly, I'm quite entertained. I once again caught Kenshin glancing at me, a tiny smile playing on his lips at my apparent amusement. I only took a second to return his attentions, and then I focused on what our tour guides were saying.

Walking further into the grounds, they pointed out various gardens and their significance to the Temple. We passed a group of monks who were calmly seated in one of the lawns, chanting something low and melodic.

Chang nodded placidly. "Nembutsu, that be. Upon us, Amida Buddha smiles."

"Taught us well, Bennei Yamazaki did," agreed Eng.

Leaving the gardens behind us, we came upon more edifices, most of them run-down. Chang and Eng delved on the history of the ones that were still presentable.

"What happened to those?" Yahiko asked, jerking a thumb at the dilapidated structures.

"Boshin wars," Chang replied hastily.

"Negligence," Eng added, just as quickly.

They then continued to talk about the other buildings.

Hello. Do I sense...evasiveness?

"Are they condemned, or are you still using them?" I inquired casually.

"Yes," Eng answered at the same time Chang said, "No."

The monks looked at each other, that same panicked gleam affixed in their eyes when earlier Kenshin and I asked them about Ikue. Turning back to me, Chang said, "Yes," while Eng blurted, "No."

"Well," I intoned patiently. "What is it then? Yes or no?"

"Yes, some of them," Eng explained. "No, some of them."

I pointed to one that was particularly run down, my eyes piercing theirs so I can catch the slightest lie. "How about that one?"

"Condemned," Chang said without hesitation.

I jerked my head to another one. "'Bout that?"

"Condemned," Eng replied.

"And that one?" I asked, my eyes darting to a third building that looked somewhat usable. I then stared at them intently for their response.

Chang began to fiddle with his beads. "C-Condemned."

Eng fiddled with his beads the moment the word escaped Chang's mouth.

This is too easy.

"That is too bad," Kenshin said with nonchalant ease. "It still looks livable."

Chang and Eng paled.

I think my deviousness is rubbing off on Kenshin, or is it just the contact of our hands? Or maybe just that very moment he was caressing the back of my hand with his thumb.

"Are they alright?" Kyosuke asked me in a whisper. "They look like they're going to be sick."

"You ain't seen nothing yet," I muttered. Bringing my attention to Kenshin, I dropped a well aimed side-shot. "Wow, if I wanted to run away from home, I can actually hide in there and no one would find me, ne Kenshin? Since they've declared it condemned and all."

Chang and Eng, keeping their eyes away from mine, began to nod frantically while they fingered their beads and whispered words we could not hear.

And now for the kill. "You can put a person in there and no one would know, ne?"

Their gasps were audible, and I wondered momentarily if they would run back to their abbot.

I suppose they didn't expect this. It was an ambush after all.

"Maa..." Kenshin told me softly. "Not too harsh."

I smiled at him and decided to put the monks out of their misery. Shifting my gaze, I looked towards one particularly lavish temple separated from the near-ruined ones. "This one seems rather busy."

Chang and Eng immediately latched on to that opportunity to get back into the swing of truthfulness. I certainly hope I hadn't scarred them for life. After all, if I were to fry in hell, I don't want to drag a couple of monks down with me.

We were eating our packed lunches in one of the public gardens surrounding the perimeter of the temple. The weather was perfect for an out-door picnic, and the bento boxes kept the food well enough to make the meal satisfying. The tea had suffered into a lukewarm temperature, but it was a welcomed drink nevertheless.

The shade of a Sakura tree protected us from the sun, the calm breeze blowing wisps of our hair. There was hardly any noise considering there were quite a few groups of people around us. The close proximity of the area to the temple grounds made people conscious of those praying within the temple walls.

Yahiko gobbled down his rice-balls like there was no tomorrow. Must have been the long walk from the dojo.

Watching him in awe, I gave him portions of my own lunch, as if I just wanted to see how much he could actually consume. He took my share without looking up.

"Oink, oink," Kyosuke said.

Yahiko stuck his tongue out at him, bits of rice stuck on it.

Kyosuke's face screwed in disgust.

"You can have some of mine, Kaoru," Kenshin said, pushing some hair that had fallen to my face with his finger upon seeing that my hands were laden with a bento box and chopsticks.

"Th-Thank you," I stammered.

"Hey Kenshin," Yahiko said, his cheeks puffed from the food in his mouth. "You're being awfully sweet to busu. I noticed it in the tem-"

I imagine that my face was casting unbelievable shades of red as I reprimanded him. "Your manners are atrocious, Yahiko. Don't talk when your mouth is full."

Kyosuke laughed, seeing right through me.

Out went Yahiko's tongue again, this time in my direction.

"Mou!"

Kenshin smiled at me, the clueless sheen of his eyes making me feel better at the normalcy, but disappointed at the banality.

Sure, it's weird that Kenshin is paying attention to me in that way, but it doesn't necessarily mean...that I don't like it.

Suppressing a sigh, I turned to lunch. I was thoroughly surprised when Kenshin leaned over to me and whispered, "Perhaps...sessha should not have been so obvious in front of the kids."

When I looked up to stare at him, that same idiotic smile was pasted on his lips. It's so out of the ordinary that I'm beginning to think I'm imagining things. That temple has some weird stuff going on in there, and I don't mean secret asylums and freaky statues.

"Breaking and entering...trespassing...defiling sacred grounds...disturbance of the peace..."

"Kyosuke, shut up!" I hissed from the shadow of our bush. "Since when were you ever a stickler for rules?"

"Since Gen-ichi's gang began going after me, since Saitoh wants my ass in his investigation, and since you dragged me in front of temple grounds in the middle of the night, hiding under the darkness by the light of the moon, plotting some kind of amateur coup attempt in a place where all things must remain holy..."

I glared at him. "Look, if you have a better plan, I'm all for it..."

"Shhhh!" Kyosuke whispered, clamping a hand on my mouth. "You're making a racket!"

"Ouch! Dammit, roosterhead! You're stepping on my foot!" Yahiko cried softly, wriggling is head through my arm.

"Well then, quit squirming, kid!" Sano shot back as he practically pushed me face down on the ground with his shifting.

Taking a deep breath and praying for the grace not to strangle all of them on the spot, I pushed Kyosuke's hand away and concentrated on the task at hand.

"Kenshin, tell me again why they're all here. Please?" I asked my rurouni.

He smiled serenely. "Because they wouldn't be left behind, de gozaru yo."

I sighed.

In my earlier desperate attempt to get Yahiko out of the way, I managed to convince everyone right after lunch that we should head back to the dojo, hoping that when I decreed we were going back to Zojo-ji on the same day we left it, the long walk would be too daunting for him to undertake. Apparently, the boy has had a good dose of his wheaties, and was as energetic in the evening as he was when he first got up for the day. He declared that he would be part of the Temple Sneak-In, and he didn't care if it was almost a four-hour walk going and another four hours getting back. To top it all off, Sano had declared he would go too. He said that trailing Saitoh all afternoon had been the most boring endeavor of his life, and he needed some action. I considered applying some of my Cat's Paw technique, just to knock out Yahiko and Sano, but sleep from a pressure point can only last for a few hours, and it would be risking the possibility that the two of them would follow us anyway and thereI was counting on Kenshin and Kyosuke to be the only ones dedicated enough to accompany me, instead I got a whole posse. It's almost endearing to think that they're all concerned about how this affair turns out, but shit! It wouldn't hurt for them to have a sense of strategy, strategy that says: In circumstances like sneak-ins, small numbers is advisable.

I suppose letting them figure that out would be asking too much of their brains.

Perhaps the worse thing about this whole episode is Kyosuke's constant complaining. The guy didn't like the idea of sneaking in "like a bunch of thieves". An uncalculated risk, he says. When I told him not to come, he said, "And let the kid have all the fun? Bite me, Kamiya." Believe me, I would have, and then washed my mouth with very strong soap, for lack of something more potent.

I just wish he'd quit griping about how flimsy our plan is and at least pretend that he was putting his whole heart into this.

Before we left the temple this morning, I had managed to wheedle information from Chang and Eng about the monks' sleeping habits. They said that all lights are off by 10:30. It is now a bit past 1 am, and I'm pretty sure that as long as we stay quiet, we wouldn't get into trouble.

I studied the perimeter wall and gauged it to be about eighteen feet high. I hope Kenshin and Sano could manage it.

"Let's do this," I told my boys.

Kenshin nodded and crouching low, he crossed the distance between our bush and the foot of the wall. He barely made a sound, and in spite of his red hair, he was hard to see in the dark. He had changed out of his pink gi and white hakama. He now wore a dark blue and gray ensemble that I personally think makes him look really...well, manly. I always thought him attractive enough for me, but seeing him in darker shades...I allowed myself to drool a bit.

In my humble opinion, Kenshin looked gorgeous. I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious that my own white gi and blue hakama made me look conspicuous in the dark but plain in the light.

Yahiko and Kyosuke had gone with less bright colors as well, just for tonight.

Sano...well, that tough guy doesn't give a damn about anything, so he refused to switch hues.

Kenshin signaled for Sano to follow and the ex-gangster flitted through the shadows, lugging the rope we had brought along for the mission.

We watched as Sano bent low and gave Kenshin a foothold. Kenshin stepped on Sano's hands, and with a mighty boost, Kenshin flipped into the air and landed gracefully on the top of the wall. Kyosuke gave a low whistle. "Awesome. Those two actually make a great team. Have they ever thought of becoming burglars?"

I swear! Does Kyosuke ever take anything seriously?

Kenshin jumped and disappeared behind the wall. Sano then tossed the bundle of rope, holding one end of it as he did so. The rope draped over the wall and then a few seconds later jerked twice, signaling that it was secured. Sano made sure that the rope would hold from his end then gestured for the next person.

"Go," I told Yahiko.

Yahiko nodded and swiftly made his way. I saw Yahiko climb the rope nimbly. Soon he was going down the other side.

"You next," I said to Kyosuke.

Kyosuke took a deep breath, shook his shoulders then rubbed his hands together, as if psyche-ing himself. "Well, here goes nothing."

I didn't quite understand why he said what he said and did what he did, but when he went to Sano and began his climb, I realized that the guy couldn't ascend a rope to save his life. He was a major klutz, and soon enough, Kyosuke and Sano were arguing in whispers.

Oy...what am I going to do with him?

Sighing, I stealthily approached them.

"Push your feet against the wall and use your body weight for leverage, you moron," Sano was telling him.

"Look, if I knew how to apply that, do you think we'd be having this conversation? No, I think not."

"For cryin' out loud," I hissed. "Forget the rope! Sano, boost him up."

"Whoa! Hey! I couldn't fly like Himura, you know!" Protested Kyosuke.

"Jeez!" I said. Do I have to think of everything? "Sano, get down. I'll ride your shoulders and then Kyosuke will try to ride mine. Do you think you can climb the rope from that height, Kyosuke?"

Kyosuke frowned, but he replied. "I'll try."

So we went through the motions. Sitting myself on Sano was no problem, but when Kyosuke started to climb him and me, goodness! First of all, he had this painful way of stepping on Sano's back, and then he actually clung to my hair, taking fists full of my strands.

I complained as quietly as I could.

"Hold your horses! Do you think this is easy for me?" He said.

"Tell me that when you're not pulling on my scalp, you idiot!" I growled.

I am not a big woman. In fact, I am a small woman, and Kyosuke's weight on my shoulders was a bit more than I could bear. It wasn't so bad when Kyosuke steadied himself on me, but when Sano stood up, it was impossible to keep our balance. We actually wobbled and we had to crash into the wall to stay stacked and standing. With my forehead bumping against the stone, I wasn't the least bit happy. My skin was scraping against the gravel, and it was stinging like anything.

"H-Hurry up, Kyosuke!" I ordered him.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!"

The moron actually stood on my shoulders. Stood on them! And man, did it hurt! If he stays there any longer, he'd dislocate both my arms.

"Ouch! Kyosuke!" I cried.

"Jou-chan, are you going to be alright?" Sano asked me worriedly.

"I'll be fine," I replied through grit teeth.

Kyosuke's weight was soon off me and I breathed a sigh of relief while he clumsily managed to get to the top.

"Now Jou-chan, I'd expect you to be more graceful than that," Sano told me with a snicker.

Wiping my lapel on my scratched forehead, I saw small drops of blood smearing the linen. "Well, I certainly hope so!" I said in disdain.

Sano took firm hold of my feet.

Balance I had for sure, and bracing myself, I was easily able to stand on both of Sano's hands and climb swiftly from there.

Kyosuke was still on the wall, this time laboring about how he was going to manage his descent.

"Just grab the rope, fool!" I told him.

He nodded wordlessly, and to my utter horror, he clutched at my shoulder to position himself. I think he forgot that his weight on my shoulders was far different from supporting his weight while balancing from the top of a wall.

So quite naturally, we fell.

**THE HITOKIRI**

My eyes widened as I watched Kaoru and Kyosuke toppling from the wall. The idiot will break her neck!

Neither of them screamed.

It was amazing, as if even in this dire time, they had the presence of mind to stay quiet.

"Oh shit!" Yahiko cursed.

Bent on nothing but preserving Kaoru's life, I rushed forward, intent only on catching her.

I jumped, felt her plop into my arms and then promptly crashed full-bodied on the wall. My breath got knocked out of me, but it hardly mattered. I could still stand, and I had caught her.

Kyosuke, however, wasn't fortunate enough to have someone who loved him to cushion his fall. He was instead caught by a few weeds and some bonsai trees lining the foot of the wall inside the temple. The thrashing of the growth was followed by the decided thump of his body on the cobbled ground.

Yahiko bent over him gingerly, nudging Kyosuke with his foot.

Kyosuke groaned and swore.

Well, at least he's alive.

"K-Kaoru?" I asked her worriedly.

"Mah hero!" She exclaimed in a breathy voice.

"Oro!"

She grinned at me. "I always wanted to say that," she explained.

I sighed in relief. She's alright.

"Damn! Jou-chan, are you okay?" Sano asked from the top of the wall. He jumped and landed beside us in a graceful crouch.

She nodded. "Thanks to Kenshin," she said.

"And what's this?" I asked, spotting some raw scratches on her forehead.

"It's nothing," she replied. "I really appreciate you catching me, Kenshin. Thank you."

I was pleasantly surprised when she kissed my cheek. "Oro!" I exclaimed, but this time with what I was certain to be a very stupid smile.

"I'm fine," Kyosuke piped, cringing as he got to his feet. "I'm alright, people."

Sano snorted. "Who cares?" He responded, untying the rope from where I had anchored it to a small stone lamp holder lodged into the ground.

"Shouldn't we just leave that there?" Kyosuke asked, still groaning, probably from some kind of pain on his back.

"And what are you gonna do if some monk decides to take a little walk and sees this rope?" Sano asked in return, looping the cord around his bent forearm. "Besides, we don't even have to use the wall to get out. We can use the gate, ne?"

"I fell off a twenty foot wall. Forgive me if my brains are a little scrambled now," Kyosuke responded grumpily, limping a bit.

Yahiko smirked. "You can put busu down now, Kenshin."

And so I could. I wish I did not have to. She fits so perfectly in my arms.

Setting her gently to her feet, she gave me one last smile before directing all of us to follow her.

Staying low, we scurried through the grounds in stealth. I was somewhat impressed by the way Kaoru moved about. She was fluid in every step she took, light on her feet, choosing just the right shadows for better concealment and looking around her for constant awareness. She reminded me of a ninja.

She knew what she was doing, and I'll wager everything on the presumption that she had done this before.

Even Kyosuke couldn't match her nimble movements, but then, as he said, he had just fallen off a twenty-foot wall, so...he was so clumsy, in fact, that I kept hearing him making sounds of pain when he bumped his knee or his shin on something or other.

She got us through the grounds with quick efficiency, and soon, we were rushing up the steps of the building which the monks had so desperately tried to lie about.

"You know," Yahiko whispered. "This is kinda creepy."

Kaoru hushed him softly and made us crouch for a while on the porch.

It was very dark and quiet, but we could see fairly well by the light of the moon. Our eyes have already adjusted quite well, but in all likelihood, the inside of the building wouldn't have much to illuminate it.

The building had a sliding front door. It wasn't locked, and it opened easily enough. A sure sign that it was still being used. Just as expected, it was pitch black where the light of the moon didn't reach.

I leaned my lips close to her ear. "Do you think there's a guard, Kaoru?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Stay here."

I clutched her arm. "Kaoru! You are going in there alone?"

"Well it's better than five people stumbling around in the dark!" She argued. "Especially with Kyosuke being such a klutz..."

Kyosuke scowled at her.

Point taken. "Sessha will go with you," I said firmly.

"But-"

"Sessha knows how it is to be blind," I told her. "Can you say the same?"

Kaoru said nothing to refute me.

I smiled to myself. I had always considered my encounter with Amakusa Shogo a learning experience, and it's divine providence that I can use it now to "out-stubborn" Kaoru.

"What about us?" Sano asked.

"Go inside but stay at the door. Stand guard." Kaoru replied. "We'll holler if we need you. In the meantime, I don't care what you do, just stay quiet."

She put a hand on my shoulder and I nodded.

This time, I led Kaoru inside.

I've experienced this kind of darkness before, and I learned how to be aware of things around me by the feel of the slightest breeze, or the echo of the smallest sound. Taking it from there, I figured that the room was bare, and we would be free of any impediment at the moment.

Slipping Kaoru's hand from off my shoulder, I clutched it firmly in my own hand and pulled her with me. "Stay close," I instructed her.

We moved cautiously across the room and came upon a passage entrance that turned to the right. Following the path, I felt that we were going deeper into the structure. It was somewhat disorienting, but feeling our way through, we knew that we had not missed any doors or other hallways.

"Kenshin, can you hear that?" Kaoru asked me.

Amidst the barely audible whisper of the wind came a faint melody, like someone was singing.

I must admit, the haunting sound made my hairs stand on end. In the words of Yahiko, it was creepy, and childish as it may seem, the sound reminded me of monster tales wherein protagonists were warned of their impeding doom by unearthly arias.

Kaoru shuddered against me. "I feel like an Oni is going to jump us any second now," she whispered.

How terribly accurate Kaoru could be. Not comforting at a time like this. It was bad enough that there were tales about Oni who were once Buddhist monks, returning as these demons to protect temples from harm, but what's worse is the story of the invisible Oni who make known their presence by singing or whistling.

So potent were her words that I was seriously wondering whether our Oni would be green or red, whether it would have an ox head or a horse head, and whether it would have on its trademark tiger skin mantle. As I child, my imagination had terrified me with visions of its neck-less and hairy human body, it's big mouth and clawed fingers. So vivid where the images in my head that whenever I did something bad, I would expect an Oni to come crashing through the mist, intent upon snatching me and dragging me to Emma-Hoo, the god of hell.

Goodness, I was a troubled child.

"Where is it coming from?" Kaoru asked, whom I noticed was sidling up to me.

"I don't know," I replied, keeping her close as we crept forward. "But it's getting louder."

I was beginning to make out words

"Asamashi..." Sang the voice of a woman. It was still faint, but I was catching snippets of her lyrics. "...mono ni...to..ru...mukashi no...nari..."

Walking a bit more, I came to a complete stop when I made out a flickering light coming from something like a trap on the floor.

Kaoru gasped before we stepped up our pace.

We came upon a flight of downward stairs, and from where we stood, we can hear the words clearly.

"...ya...nado kedamono ni...uchitokuru...sa koso...mukashi no...chigiri nari tomo...Asamashi ya...nado kedamono..."

"She's signing the same song over and over again," Kaoru breathed in my ear.

If you could call it a song. Whoever was singing it, she was using random notes, in whatever tone she pleased. Only the words were consistent, and the tempo.

No, there was a pattern still. The way she paused before she went on to the next group of words. "Waka," I concluded.

Is it so outrageous to make love with an animal...Even if that love must spring from karmic vows of former lives...

"What a nasty poem," Kaoru remarked with distaste.

"It's a Chinese Tale, actually," I said, glad that I could contribute to Kaoru's vast knowledge just this once.

Even through the dim light from beneath us, I could make out Kaoru's wince. "About doin' a pet?"

I chuckled. "Something like that." I can tell her the whole tale some other time. Right now, there are more important things to think about.

"I wonder if she got the waka from Miyori's Genji collection," she surmised.

I shrugged. "Likely. Watch your step, Kaoru."

We made our way down the stairs gingerly, still trying to be as quiet as possible.

When we got to the bottom, we peered cautiously around the corner.

There was a guard. A monk, sitting on a stool in front of a heavy wooden door. The door had a trap at the foot of it and a tiny window at eye level. The light came from a burning lamp placed at a safe distance opposite the monk, the fire from the lamp already on the verge of dying out.

Upon lengthier observation, I could tell that the guard was actually slumped on his seat, asleep.

"Do you think he'll wake up?" Kaoru asked me in a whisper.

"I don't know."

"Well then, we'll just have to make sure," she said.

Walking past me, she approached the guard then crouched down to look him in the face. To my astonishment, she nudged him.

What is she doing? Is she waking him up? "Kaoru!" I hissed.

The monk gave a snort and slowly roused out of his sleep. "Is it two already...?" He slurred, opening his eyes.

He gave a start of surprise when he saw Kaoru.

Kaoru smiled. "You're dreaming. Go back to sleep."

With amazing quickness, Kaoru administered something from his stomach to his chest in rapid succession, hand and fingers flipping accurately over precise points.

He instantly slumped forward when she was done, snoozing deeply.

I stared at her in awe.

"Not even an earthquake can wake this guy up now and he probably won't even remember me," Kaoru said, pushing him back against the wall with care. "But he'll be waking up on his own in about four hours, with a major headache."

I snapped myself out of my stupor by giving my head an abrupt shake. Kaoru has managed to bewilder me yet again.

"First time to see Cat's Paw?" Kaoru asked me with a grin.

"Yes," I replied, finding my senses and going to the door to peep through the window.

I saw a woman crouching by the light of a candle in the corner of a small room. They had provided her with a futon that looked like it hadn't been slept on. Some books were scattered on the floor along with several sheets of paper. Looking a bit more, I noticed an inkbottle with a quill stuck into it.

The woman wore a beige kimono fastened by a red obi, somewhat unkempt in its appearance. Her black hair hung loose and tangled, but I could make out a ribbon haphazardly clinging to a lock of her hair. She had not stopped singing.

Kaoru tiptoed and tried to get a view of the cell as well. The window was so small that I had to drape my arm around her to give her space to see.

"Ikue-dono," I called to the woman.

She looked at us but continued to sing. Her eyes were dazed, bereft of sanity. She would have had a pleasant face if not for the blank stare in her dark pools. The hollows of her cheeks were sharp against the dancing shadows.

She approached the door, shuffling on her feet. "...sa koso...mukashi no..."

"That's an interesting song, Ikue-san," Kaoru said to her nervously. "What's it called?"

"...asamashi ya...nado kedamono..." continued Ikue as she peered at us.

Kaoru and I continued to speak to her, hoping that our words would spark some kind of lucidity in her that might be worth all our trouble of coming here.

It got rather frustrating, because she would just keep on singing, maintaining eye contact with us as she did so.

After a while, Kaoru pulled away and sighed in exasperation. "We don't have time for this."

I turned away from the window and rubbed my fingers against my eyes. This hour used to pose no problem for me in terms of wakefulness. I worked as a bodyguard, for goodness sake, but all that walking, scaling walls and basically just the entire day, is beginning to wear me out. I'm getting old.

In a most opportune moment, the lamp lighting our side of the room jumped then died, leaving both of us annoyed at its wake. Will bad luck never cease?

"Great. Just great," Kaoru muttered in irritation.

Ikue suddenly stopped singing and said, "Kuraki yori,"

Out of darkness. I froze for a second. I looked up from my hands to stare at the door, then finally comprehending, I rushed back to the peephole, Kaoru doing likewise.

"Yes, it's quite dark," Kaoru blurted.

She looked at us intently. "Ruri...murasaki...ossharutouridesu."

"D-Did she just agree with us?" I asked Kaoru.

Kaoru bounced slightly on her toes. "She did! She did! Ruri and Murasaki...they're names, ne? The writer of Tales of Genji, and Ruri is one of Murasaki-sama's best friends! Daisuke-san said so! But they also mean..."

"The color of our eyes," I finished for her. Ruri, lapiz lazuli blue, and Murasaki, purple.

"...shitsumei..." Ikue went on.

It was fragmented. "...Name unknown..." she had said quite clearly. But it was responsive. She was explaining.

"Ikue-dono," I said, not breaking our combined gaze. "Can you understand us?"

"Tsukaidate...watashi...desu kaaaaa...?" She asked in a sing-song whisper.

"No, not at all!" Kaoru replied excitedly. "You're not causing us any trouble! We need to ask you some questions. Will you answer our questions?"

"Jiyuuuu..." replied Ikue.

As it pleases us, she said. Oh, what a wonderful woman!

"What happened with Miyori-san?" Kaoru asked her urgently.

Ikue pressed her face to the door, her eyes staring out at us. "Kyoujou...kagyakou..." she breathed with saddened eyes. "Isshasenri...hakabakashii..."

Offense, causing pain. One swift effort, quick.

It was like she was speaking in poems.

"...shimyaku...kirifuseru..."

Feed...to slay.

"...naematoloma...sekaku...fuasikikurare..."

Naematoloma...at great pains...fuasikikurare.

I didn't catch that. I could not understand the words.

"...ribidumo...ibitsu...kumorigasa..."

Now she was making little sense.

Ribidumo? Crooked...umbrella?

I could see Kaoru waiting intently for Ikue to continue, but she said nothing more.

Kaoru looked at me and I shook my head, conveying that I could not comprehend it.

"Did you kill her, Ikue-san? Did you kill Miyori-san?" Kaoru asked her.

She flashed a melancholic smile. "Aa..."

I heard Kaoru take a deep breath and I had to keep still to steady my beating heart.

"Why did you do it, Ikue-dono?" I asked.

"Daikirai," Ikue's face fell and her reply came in a howl. "Onshuu. Ookami no koigokoro...naishougoto."

Hate. Love and hate. The awakening of the wolf's love...a secret.

Wolf's...love? " Is it so outrageous to make love with an animal? Even if that love must spring from karmic vows of former lives."

Uncanny...

A clatter from behind us jolted us from our conference.

We saw a light and heard footsteps from the stairs.

I felt Kaoru clutch at my shoulder desperately and my hand immediately went to the hilt of my sakabatou.

We were astonished to see Yahiko appearing with a lamp in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Kaoru demanded. "And where did you get that lamp? You could have given it to us earlier if you had it..."

"This isn't mine!" Yahiko said in protest. "A monk came and he had this with him. Sano managed to knock him out, but if we don't wanna get caught, we have to go! The other monks might be expecting him back from where he came from!"

His words clicked in my head. The guard had asked Kaoru whether it was two o'clock already when she woke him up. They were taking shifts!

"Not the one Sano knocked out, but this one right here," I said, pointing to the monk snoring against the wall.

Kaoru cursed and prompted me to get a move on.

"Itoshigo!" Ikue chimed from the window.

"Who is she calling a beloved dear child?" Yahiko cried.

I sighed. "No time, de gozaru yo!" I said, turning Yahiko by his shoulders and hustling him to the stairs.

Kaoru looked over her shoulder at Ikue. "Goodbye, Ikue-san. Thank you!"

"Dou itashimashite!" Ikue cried, her voice fading behind us as we ran.

As Sano said, we used the gate to rush out of the temple grounds, but it created such a grand squeak that we thought it best to keep running.

Kyosuke was in pain, but he lagged behind us only a little, limping awkwardly and holding his back while we continued our escape.

"Hurry up, Igor!" Kaoru told him.

"Well, I'm sorry! I didn't have a hero to save me from my fall!"

I do pity the man. Even if Sano were around to catch him, the ex-gangster wouldn't have bothered anyway.

A few minutes later, we were able to reach an area where we could loiter unnoticed. We took this opportunity to catch our breaths and settle our rattled nerves.

"Kenshin," Kaoru said between gasps. "I was thinking..."

Always, she thinks. "Yes?"

"What Ikue-san said."

"Which one?" I asked, collapsing to the ground on my seat as I panted.

"The parts that made some sense," she continued, wiping her sleeve on her damp forehead gingerly. "About the wolf..."

"Wolf?" Kyosuke predictably reacted.

Sano and Yahiko chose to listen, waiting for Kaoru to continue.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes. That and some of the other words...kyoujou...hakabakashii...kirifuseru..."

"Kyoujou," I repeated, understanding at that instant what she was getting at. Offense...sin. "Quick...swift...to slay."

Aku, Zoku, Zan.

**THE MONKS**

Chang and Eng watched as the group left the temple, waving their good-byes with heartfelt wishes of fortune.

"Think they understood what we were getting at when we went cuckoo over the Loony's Building?" Chang asked his best friend.

"Ah, at least one of them did," Eng replied. "The girl's smart. She knows. Of course, if they're going to break in, we really have to make sure that everyone's folded in by ten thirty. It's up to them to stay quiet and wake no one up."

Chang smiled and nodded sagely. "I'm glad we did this, brother. This is very important to them, and they need this to be one with their own souls. The abbot is very wise to have assigned us for the job."

"Well, the abbot's a genius," Eng said in agreement. "He's a compassionate man, and he has never turned down youngsters in need of help. The path of Buddha requires enlightenment after all, and the abbot believed that without the truth, it would be impossible for those youngsters to find peace."

"How about Battousai, though? Think we knocked some sense into him? He's really taken with the lady," said Chang.

"He'll be fine," Eng replied. "We have done several good deeds today. Buddha will smile upon us."

"Indeed he will. But brother...do we have to talk so strangely all the time? It's very difficult..."

Eng sighed. "It's all part of our sacrifice. We have to talk like nitwits, or else nobody will believe a word we're saying."

"I suppose you're right..."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**THE SPY**

Wipe the blood off,

You were powerless, too weak.

Wash off the traces.

If only I could.

Louder than the screams

The whimper of suffering

Potent for the guilt

Makes the blood stain deeper. There was nothing I could do. I was helpless...

I was held. Hands on my body, bruising the flesh. How can I respond to the scream, when the one I myself held back knew well enough that no help would come? Resignation for things that would not change keeps me silent in spite of all the screams that wanted to rip through my throat.

To be forced to do things that violates the body and wounds the soul...

Eyes stay dry because the pain has been numbed...for the moment. The suffering will come later...after, hacking through ones sanity, ones self-worth, but tears will refuse to fall all the same, simply because what little cleansing comfort weeping used to give has been spent. Nothing can clean me now.

I see hands, my hands...my fingers digging through the earth as my fists clench. The gravel pinched between my nails, because here the soil has not been loosened, here was a lonely brush where the man behind me hastens to do the deed upon my person. He has only begun, and already I pray that it be over.

There is blood on my hands, but not mine. Not where handling such as his used to make me bleed. I stopped bleeding long ago. Used so many times, I could fathom that my own blood has ceased to flow.

The indignity is the worse. Held by the hair, pinned at the knees, he was one of the gentler ones. Struggling would prolong the act, and only fuel the sense of power my ravisher derived from having a young girl like me.

Used...so used.

And then the flash...a glint of steel passing my sight.

It stopped. It all stopped, gone silent as the scarlet bathed my face and body. I saw the eyes of my ravisher stilled by terror, staring at me with his mouth agape, bereft of the body that so casually insisted on having mine...severed by the sharp edge of a sword.

"It will not be tolerated," said his executioner. "There will be none of that."

And when I looked up, trembling as I covered the evidence of my shame, I stared upon feral eyes, so ferocious with righteous rage that they could belong to no man, only a beast's...

Breathe Kamiya. Just breathe and it will be all right.

I sat up in bed, gasping for air, clutching the sheets as if to take desperate hold of my lucidity. Sweat poured from my body and I looked around me, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I am in my room, the day already bright.

It was a nightmare...just a nightmare. I am no longer in the Bakumatsu, no longer in that dank hidden bush...

When had that...happened?

I could barely remember.

This memory is new.

No, not new, but forgotten.

Those eyes...I've seen them only on patrol captains and assassins...

Needing a wakeful escape, I hurried out of bed and dressed hastily in my training clothes.

What time is it? Eight? Nine?

Everyone's probably still asleep. We got back to the dojo at six in the morning from Zojo-ji and we had managed to discuss all that had happened in the temple while we made our way home. With all the storytelling done, we had all decided to go straight to bed to get some rest.

Apparently, there will be no resting for me today.

My damn dreams have refused me that.

Kamiya Kasshin Ryu...I need it.

Memories such as those...perhaps they are best forgotten.

I thought the training would help. Hoped it would.

If I couldn't stick my finger into my brain and yank out that memory from hell, I might very well be able to beat it out with exhaustion.

Focusing on the abstract clears my mind, but I know it only gives temporary relief. I've always known. However, this time, the need for escape is so strong that failing to do so is eating me alive.

This memory is battering my thoughts, and all I ask from it is to go away. I want it to leave me alone!

I thought I had managed to get rid of those memories well enough not to affect me as much as they used to. It's been years since I was last...abused in such a manner, and now they're coming for me in my dreams? How crappy is that? How the hell am I supposed to live my life when visions of someone using me keep plaguing my mind?

"Dammit!" I screamed, throwing my bokken across the training hall and sinking to my knees.

Clutching at my hair, head lowered, I tried to think of something else.

I screwed my eyes shut and hissed. "Chocolates in Yokohama...teahouses in Kyoto...rivers in Edo..." I muttered to myself. I can do this. I don't have to think about long-forgotten, crappy memories of someone raping me...AARGH! "Just stop!" I ordered myself.

This is so infuriating!

Suddenly, I felt strong hands clasping my shoulders and I instantly wrenched away from the touch even before I knew who was administering it.

"Kaoru, it's just me," he said soothingly. "It's just me..."

Kenshin...

I stared at him blankly for a moment. Then swallowing the lump in my throat, I spoke. "S-Sorry...I was just...talking to myself..."

He hushed me, saying it was all right. He took me into his embrace, whispering words of comfort in my ear.

Closing my eyes, I let his words calm me as I took deep breaths to dispel the encompassing frustration of my failure to forget.

"I'm going bananas," I muttered, burying my face on the collar of his gi. "Maybe whatever tick Ikue has is catching, and I've been infected...or something."

"Kaoru, it is ten in the morning," he said, running his fingers gently through my hair. "Lack of sleep has felled tougher men."

I scoffed bitterly. Who needs sleep when it consumes what little marbles I have left? Maybe if I knocked my head on a beam hard enough, I'd fall into one of those dreamless comas. That's the ticket.

Being in his arms like this, though...it feels good. A momentary recluse from the madness. "And what right have you Rurouni, for lecturing me about sleep, when you yourself haven't gotten any?" I asked.

"I've slept enough," he replied. "I don't need more than four hours of it. You are not conditioned in the same way, Kaoru."

"You've got me pretty much figured out, don't you Kenshin?" I said, somewhat amused. "I think you've got everyone figured out, what with your ability to see ki."

By the brush of his chin on my crown, I could tell that he was shaking his head in disagreement. "No. I do not see ki. I feel it, and then I interpret it. Sometimes, I get it wrong."

"Most times right," I interjected.

"Most times, but not all people are open about their subconscious selves," he explained in a soft voice. "All people have something to hide. It is not necessarily always a dark secret, that I know as much, but then...even I can't tell whether the secret is significantly dark because there are cases when the person himself does not deem the secret dark enough to classify it as such. It all depends on the person..."

"And you expect me to understand this...ki thing?" I asked.

"No. Sometimes, I could not understand it myself. In my experience, ki is most readable in battle, or when a person's emotion runs high. Ki in everyday life could be anything, and I have long since given up trying to read it."

"Gee Kenshin," I said, effecting a yawn. "Keep talking like that and I just might fall asleep."

He chuckled, and I was pleasantly surprised when he pulled me even closer in his arms. "Oh Kaoru...do you do this on purpose, or is it a reflex action?"

Eh? I craned my neck to look at him. "What is?"

"The way you insist on putting up the barriers," he said to me, caressing my face. "The way you keep pushing me away..."

Pushing him away..."I do not..." I began in slight indignation.

His lips curved into an amused smile. "There now, you see?"

I realized just then that I was physically pressing my hands against his chest, prying myself off him. I stopped struggling, then collapsed back against him with a sigh. "Busted," I grumbled.

"Kaoru, what are you so afraid of?" He asked, lowering his head so that his lips would be close to my ear. "Are you afraid I'll hurt you?"

I frowned to myself. "N-No! Jeez, what the hell are you talking about..."

Oh Kamiya, you're such a liar. It couldn't be helped. Men have scarred me, could I be blamed for being afraid? Oh but this is Kenshin we're talking about.

"I will never hurt you, Kaoru." He said, like a promise.

Kenshin...you always keep your promises, ne?

I felt his hand take mine, and he pressed it to his heart. "I will always take care of you. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes," I found myself replying.

There's this feeling at the pit of my stomach, a longing. It makes me like to be held this way. It makes me like the sound of his voice.

I looked up at him again, hoping perhaps that he could ease some of the ache by...by what? A...kiss? Kamiya, you're an idiot. You ask for too much.

But I've never felt that kind of kiss. Even someone like me, stained beyond recognition, just might deserve that kind of touch, right? If only for a second. Nothing fancy, really...

No need for anything more than lips. Well, maybe just a tiny bit more than lips. Maybe a little bit deeper than lips...

"Kaoru?"

"Yes?" I breathed, mesmerized.

"Tell me why you are upset," he said.

Damn, rurouni.

Just when things...I sighed. Might as well get some of the weight off.

"Have you ever dreamt of a memory, Kenshin?" I began. "A real memory?"

Kenshin took his time in replying, perhaps trying to recall if he had. "Bits and pieces of things..."

I shook my head. "You're talking about a collage kind of dream. They're very different from memory dreams. Memory dreams can make you feel things you haven't felt in a long time, vividly feel them. Like it was actually happening all over again. It reminds you of the significant, because it is the significant that's stuck in your head. They're almost never pleasant, seldom about happy times."

"Kaoru...what did you dream about?" He asked me, staring back at me intently.

"That's not what's important," I replied. "Memories have gaps. You only remember what you think ought to be remembered..."

Confusion came over his face. "Make me understand what you're getting at."

I snuggled against him, appreciating the true concern that radiated from his voice. "You don't have to understand Kenshin. Just listen. A lot of things happened to me back then, and if I let myself mull over all of it, I'll basically have to kill myself, but then I have this strange ability to block off the worse memories, like they never happened, so I find it in myself to live. I discovered this morning that memories couldn't be erased at will. They just sort of...hibernate. And when those memories resurface unwontedly, because they are some of the most horrible ones, they gnaw at you...slowly."

Saitoh, with his twisted sense of justice, punished a man who had taken a young girl against her will. What does that say about him? What does that make him? Less of a wolf? More of a beast?

"Kaoru..." he whispered in a worried tone. "It is somewhat difficult for me to see where you are going, but this dream of yours...I can tell that you could have done without it. Will you be okay?"

"It's nothing, Kenshin," I said. "Lack of sleep makes me really weird, or haven't you noticed?" I didn't feel like explaining anymore. The crux of it had been said. I just wanted to stay here in his arms and try to move on to better things.

He stared at me for a moment, thinking about what he ought to say, most probably. After a while, he nodded. "It also gives you bloodshot eyes with dark circles under them...not to mention that scratch on your forehead..."

Yes, ever perceptive. So sensitive to my need to have the subject changed. Kenshin's just so sweet about things like that, however, I wish he had brought up a subject that didn't criticize my looks. "Thank you. I know I look hideous."

He chuckled. "I think there's still some healing salve in the medicine box. I will have to check. Around here, we are always in short supply..."

I found it in myself to return his chuckle.

"But perhaps I'll do it later," he said softly. "This unworthy one would rather stay here for a while..."

No, he has not made me nervous. The beating of my heart is simply a result of my supreme need for sleep. I am not the oh-my-god-is-he-going-to-kiss-me-I-could-barely-breathe kind of girl. That would be silly of me, wouldn't it? I am a tough-broad who doesn't go for this sort of mushy stuff. No, he has not made me nervous.

I ought to crack a smart-aleck retort, a little bit of sass just to let him know that this closeness isn't affecting me at all.

"I have been told," he began in a low, almost quiet voice. "That I take too many things for granted...that hesitation will bring nothing but risk of loss. I hardly think this is the appropriate time, but if not now, then when?"

Wha...What is he talking about? Will he...?

I don't need words right now. I could do without them. I really could. I need something more than words.

Why is he talking so much? Kenshin, you idiot! You usually always know what I want! Don't luck out on me now! Do what you have to do!

He touched my cheek delicately.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my cheek against his palm. This feels so very nice. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again to give him an expectant stare. He was just looking at me, in that wonderful way that makes me feel safe and cared for.

What is he waiting for? My permission? Something like this...maybe it needs doing after all.

Tilting my face even higher, I pushed myself upward and let my lips meet his.

He did not seem at all surprised. It was like we were thinking of the same thing, and that he was just taking it from where I began. He pulled me closer by the waist and cupped my jaw in his hand.

I parted my lips because I wanted to feel his velvety tongue tangling with mine. He did not need much coaxing. It was glorious how he knew what to do.

He was so passionate...oh I could get lost in this. No man has ever kissed me like this before. So tender, so caring, yet ridden with need. I desperately want him.

Moving up without breaking contact with his lips, I got on my knees to straddle him and put my arms around his neck.

My breathing went ragged, and he didn't seem so calm either. I could feel the press of his palms, gliding slowly in loving caresses against the small of my back...my sides...my hips.

My mind was fast going through a number of things I could do to him that would make this encounter all the more pleasurable.

It'll be incredible. Though perhaps I've never actually pleasured a man willingly, I very well know how I could drive him insane with...things. And I just shudder with anticipation at the thought of what he can do to me. There's no way anybody could convince me that Kenshin isn't experienced. Samurai in the Bakumatsu...ten years thereafter...he will be a wonderful lover, I'll wager.

Kenshin, I will make you very happy. You will need no one else...

Oh...my goodness.

I breathed deeply against his lips.

Oh...what am I...

I moaned.

The sudden tightening of his grip on my hips sent a barrage of reasoning into my head like a flash flood, unbidden, unwelcome, but nevertheless relentless in its torrent.

Kamiya, SHAME ON YOU! Is that all you think Kenshin is? A sex object?

My eyes snapped open and I froze. It was at that instant that I pushed him.

We sprang apart and I fell back on my rump and hands.

My God!

So what is it, Kamiya? Do you actually have feelings for the guy or are you just looking to get a good lay? Rang a spiteful voice in my mind.

No, no, no! It isn't just that! It can't be! But then...we're not supposed to be involved! He's my best friend! He's my...protector, guiding light, such stuff as best friends are made of, but...could I actually...?

I stared at him speechlessly, catching my breath. He stared back at me in shock, gasping for air. Something crossed his face. Hurt...hurt at the way I had pulled away so violently.

For goodness sake, I was the one who started this! But this is..."A mistake," I blurted out hurriedly...almost uncertainly. "I..."

The moment I said it, he began to look more crestfallen.

Oh Kamiya, you're screwing up big time!

No, no, no! My mind chanted again. Don't look like that, Kenshin! This is...utterly confusing me!

He made a motion to put a hand on my shoulder. "Kaoru..." He gasped.

Oh, don't! I scrambled to get to my feet, away from him where I couldn't do any more harm. Where I could have the space to think without having to stare into those warm amethyst eyes that's just about making me lose all thread of cognitive thought. "I'm sorry," I muttered hastily, unable to meet his gaze. "I'm such a jerk..."

The worst! A world class asshole! Now we'll be all awkward and uneasy...just because I couldn't quite figure out what I'm getting at. Why must I always complicate things? Why does the rurouni have to be so damn irresistible?

I scampered away like my life depended on it, scuttling out of the dojo, running down the steps, and just torn. Torn between wanting to be followed and just wanting to be left alone.

**THE HITOKIRI**

I watched Kaoru run out of the dojo and for a moment, I couldn't move. I couldn't think.

All I knew was, that kiss was everything I dreamed it to be and she just...apologized for it!

I am almost certain that if I looked down on my chest that very moment, there would be a tanto skewered right through it.

It had all been so perfect. So wonderfully perfect, and I was ready to tell her, tell her everything that I feel for her. Love and desire.

Yes, I would be lying to myself if I did not admit how that one kiss invoked my need to show her how much I love her.

The way she felt in my arms...it was so right! Why had she pushed me away? Did I do something wrong? For goodness sake, maybe it was going too fast...

For a few blessed seconds I actually believed that I was welcome, I thought that maybe she could love me in the same way. But then she had called it a mistake. How could she say that? By the way she responded, a mistake is the last thing I would call it.

Is it over? Is that all there is to it?

It simply cannot end like this! I won't let it! I am a stubborn man, and by God, I will put that stubbornness to good use.

Getting to my feet, I went after her.

I saw her flitting down the steps of the dojo, as if she were running for dear life.

As I got to the foot of the steps, I could see that she had stopped at the porch of the house, looking at me anxiously as if any second now, if I made some sort of false move, she would bolt right through the doors and take cover.

I slowed and stood several feet away from her.

She was fidgeting restlessly, unable to meet eyes with me.

This is a mess! I should have known this wasn't the right time to deal with such things. I should have known it from when I first saw her in the dojo, so much in distress. I just wanted to comfort her, but she had been so close, and I could not contain my feelings. It had to be said then.

I shouldn't have dilly-dallied. I should have blurted it all out before the kiss, then maybe she wouldn't be so scared, maybe we wouldn't be chasing each other around the Kamiya-property like a couple of idi-

"Hey there, you two. What's up?"

My eyes closed momentarily in exasperation.

Sano, why did you decide to become an early riser, on this day of all days?

"S-Sano, hey! You're here early," Kaoru said to him, obviously struggling to regain her composure.

The moment is gone. Unless I want to make a spectacle of this, he had to be borne.

Sano scratched his stomach. "I'm kinda hungry..."

"Of course you are, Sanosuke," I said. I did not mean to put an edge to my tone when I said it, but one must understand how bitterly hurt and disappointed I am right now.

"Well, good morning to you too, Sunshine," Sano muttered. "Bite my head off, why don't you."

Only I, the rurouni, could say the most neutral thing and yet seem like I'm in a very bad mood.

"What's for chow, Jou-chan? Ever since you wowed us with your cooking prowess, I've been hankering for that delish miso of yours," Sano said, sitting himself on the porch at her feet.

"I-I didn't cook," Kaoru replied, still recovering. "I think Kenshin did, though. Did you, Kenshin?"

"No, I did not. I'm very sorry but I was preoccupied with more important matters..." I said, staring at her.

Kaoru pulled her eyes away from me.

The meaningful exchange was completely lost on Sano whose primary concern was his stomach. "What? Are you both out of your minds? Nothing's more important than breakfast! And lunch...and dinner...and snacks!"

Kaoru frowned at him. "Sano, there are more things in life than stuffing your face."

Sano jerked a thumb in Kaoru's direction as he looked at me. "Does she actually believe that nonsense?"

I see. The man is trying to lighten the mood. A brave attempt, if not an incredibly unwelcome one.

When Kaoru growled and I merely stared at Sano speechlessly, he gave a resigned sigh.

"Alright, what is going on here?" He demanded.

There was a displeased groan from the door. "What is all this racket about? Can't a guy get some decent sleep around here?"

Kyosuke had arrived, bedraggled and not being a morning person.

It's just as well. This morning is completely unsalvageable.

"Oh, God knows if we should disturb the guests," Kaoru told him loftily.

Kyosuke squinted at her. "You look like hell."

Kaoru pursed her lips, held up too fingers and then wordlessly plopped down on the porch.

That's two people who criticized her looks today. Well, as long a she didn't start kissing him, it's really not so bad.

Sano shook his head and took a deep breath. "Why don't we just start over. The truth is, I came here to make an update. Yesterday, I didn't get anything out of my surveillance of Saitoh, so I took the initiative of finding something before I started tailing him again."

"Pardon me Sano," Kaoru said, yawning a bit. "I lack sleep. I thought I heard you say you took the initiative."

Sano frowned. "That's exactly what I said, Jou-chan."

She chuckled and then she stopped, staring at him. "Seriously?"

"Hey!"

"Maa..." I said softly. "Kaoru is just not used to you being so industrious."

"Kaoru, babe, go get me some tea," Kyosuke said drowsily. "Something with some boosters in it. I'm awfully sleepy."

I thought he had given up on that infernally familiar address.

"Get it yourself," she snapped.

"Come on, you know you want to..." he teased, touching her fleetingly in what I assume to be her ticklish spots.

"C-Cut it out, moron!" She cried in protest, swatting at his hands.

I glared at him. What does he think he's doing? Copping a feel from my Kaoru...I ought to break his fingers, and I haven't even gone Battousai yet. Even with their constant fights, I could very well see that it came from a certain degree of friendship they had built during their days in the Bakumatsu. I don't know why I get jealous of him. He is nowhere near more worthy of her than I am, but still...

"God dammit!" Swore Sano vehemently. "Are you the least bit interested in what I have to say? I woke up early for this, for goodness sake and I ain't staying here if you're all flirty and moody at the same time!"

Oro! I hate that word, flirty. Especially because he was referring to Kyosuke being flirty with my Kaoru! It did, however, produce the desired effect.

Kaoru apologized to Sano, firmly told Kyosuke to shut up and encouraged Sano to go on.

Sano nodded, appeased. "That's better. As I was saying, I went around town and pulled a few strings in the municipal hall."

I frowned. "Sano, you didn't bribe anyone today, by any chance, did you?"

"Hell, where would I get the money for that?" Sano shot back. "I got this friend at the treasury department. He's in charge of disbursing funds to our local police station."

"How the heck did you get him to give you information at all?" Kaoru asked him.

"A brilliant stroke on my part," Sano replied cockily. "The guy has this fetish..."

Oro...

Kyosuke gasped. "You gave sexual favors?" He whispered, taboo-like.

Sano glared at him. "No. For your information, I happen to know that he has a thing for women's undergarments. The used ones, of course."

Kaoru raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And where, pray tell, did you get this used underwear of yours?"

Sano flashed her a toothy grin.

He doesn't mean...I gasped. "Oro! Sanosuke-!"

Turning absolutely red in the face, Kaoru whimpered with her fists pressing against her temples in resignation. "Oh Sano, you didn't! Oh! How dare you go through my things! And now I have to replace it! Do you realize how hard it is to make those things? It's a nightmare! I hate you!"

Sano laughed. "Of course you don't. Besides, it's for a good cause. Personally, I think the guy needs help. He wouldn't tell me beans at first, but when I started dangling the pretties in his face, he completely folded, answering all my questions like a dog with a bone being wagged in its face."

"Thank god for dogs," Kyosuke quipped. "What'd you find out?"

"Just a few interesting things," Sano said. "Saitoh's been going around Japan. Supposedly for a case he is currently working on. My source doesn't really know for sure what the case is about, but it has to do with certain unconnected deaths. Saitoh's involvement began just after a break-in that occurred in the police station months back, before Taka and Yasushige bought it. Nothing was stolen, nothing was moved. It's like whatever it was they were looking for wasn't there."

Finally Sano had our full attention. We listened.

"The break-in itself was hushed, for reasons that can't be explained, just that Saitoh had demanded that word of it be kept from getting around. Shortly after Yasushige's death, Saitoh's home was broken into. Something was stolen, but no one could really tell what."

For some reason, Kyosuke's ki jumped, and then he fidgeted uneasily on his seat.

What was that all about?

"How does all that relate to the murders?" Kaoru asked.

"That's what we'll have to find out, right?" Sano replied. "But the point is, he's been going around Japan under that 'Office Break In' case account. The records say Saitoh took a trip to Aizu, Shiroishi-"

I blinked in surprise. "Shiroishi? What's in Shiroishi?"

Sano shrugged. "Damned if I know."

I insisted the point. "Why would he go to Shiroishi?"

Sano looked a bit irritated by my insistence. "Look, if I knew, I'd tell you, buddy. But I don't. Hell, maybe he wanted to see the golden leaves everyone's raving about."

I pondered over the new information with a curious expression on my face. What would Saitoh be doing in Shiroishi? Sightseeing is definitely out of the question, though I heard their hot springs are exquisite.

"Sano," Kaoru began. "Do you know the dates for these trips?"

Sano made a half-shrug. "Roughly, yeah. Based on what you've told us, the records show that Saitoh took the trip to Aizu right after Taka died. After Yasushige got canned, he hightailed to Shiroishi, passing by Aizu on the way back...Yokohama didn't really appear in account, but he did leave that time you guys were there. Must have been on a personal expense..."

We fell silent.

"Everything..." Kaoru began. "Everything's pointing to him. It's so unlikely yet it is, and I'm really confused."

I nodded. "We'll need evidence. I don't want this turning into some big showdown." Which is exactly what Saitoh wants, I'll bet.

"So," Kyosuke said, expelling a breath. "Evidence, huh. No problem. Easy as sushi."

We didn't miss hearing his sarcastic tone.

I could feel that he was about to say something more. He hesitated, then let it go completely, choosing silence.

I knew what we were all thinking. Right now, none of us had any idea of what to do, which means that I better start trying to come up with something via my so-called "connections". It was our only chance. Before that however, there was the matter of my relationship with Kaoru.

I spoke. "Kaoru, I will tend to your wound before I run my errands."

"W-Wound?" Kaoru asked. "Kenshin, it's just a scratch. It's no big deal..."

I was never pushy, but this time, I will insist that she and I have a talk. She need not say anything. I will gladly do all the talking.

"Nonsense," I said, smiling through my troubled thoughts. "Even a wound like that can get infected."

"The rurouni lives to worry about you, Jou-chan," Sano remarked. "Put him out of his misery."

"But-"

"Hey Zanza," Kyosuke said. "I'm going to the kitchen to see if I can get myself some grub. You comin'?"

"Might as well," Sano replied.

The two of them got up and left us alone.

Kaoru got to her feet. "I'll go get the medicine box," she muttered, eyes downcast.

I held down my sigh as I watched her go.

Focusing myself, I steered my thoughts to more reasonable matters.

I will be going into town later to see Kawaji Toshiyoshi, Chief of Police. If Saitoh has to be arrested, his clout will come in handy. Also, Kawaji has always trusted me enough to make me privy to certain government on-goings. I just might be able to get some information regarding this case if I play my cards right.

My mind thus occupied, I barely noticed Kaoru arriving a while later with the kit in her hands.

When she knelt before me and wordlessly placed the box in front of me, that was the only time I was able to focus my attention on her.

Calmly, I opened the kit and spied the small jug of healing salve, marked by a painted raccoon on the side of it. The comical art is in reference to Kaoru's nickname, courtesy of Megumi. As I pulled it out and popped off the large cork, I began to speak in a quiet voice. "What happened in the dojo..."

She fidgeted. "I'm sorry I did that..."

"I'm not," I said, opening the jar and looking at her. "I have dreamed of that a countless number of times."

Confusion marked her expression and I could see her eyes breaking contact from my gaze. I dipped my hand into the ointment and realized that our supply was indeed running out. I applied what little I could get on to Kaoru's forehead. "Look at me, Kaoru," I told her gently.

She did, but she spoke. "So you like me this way? Tainted? Jaded and foul mouthed? I guess I was just too annoying when I was all cheerful and innocent, huh," she said bitterly.

Her words hurt, but I cannot back down. "Then and now does not matter to me. What matters is that it is you. I have always loved you, Kaoru."

"You don't. You just think you do," she said hollowly.

"I know what I feel," I said a bit sternly. "Why do you think I stayed here at the dojo when you first asked me to? Why do you think I came back after my fight with Shishio? Why do you think I condemned myself to Rakuninmura when I thought you were dead? Why do you think I did all that?"

"Kenshin, you can do better than a wasted broad like me," she said in a soft voice. "We both have excess baggage, don't we? I don't think I can do much to lighten that load."

It was infuriating the way she referred to herself, and her words were getting more hurtful the more she spoke. "Do not degrade yourself like that. By belittling yourself, you belittle me. You give me reason to live, and that to me is enough to tame my demons. Are you saying I am not enough to tame yours?"

She breathed deeply, anxiety knotting her brows. "I'm sorry, Kenshin. I didn't mean to be insulting. I just think you deserve better. I just think..."

"Is that it then?" I asked. I realized that I was gripping the cloth of my hakama at the knee. "You are rejecting me." Her words were slowly eating at my will. If she won't have me, then there was nothing much I could do.

"N-No!" She cried all of a sudden, then she instantly colored. "I mean-"

Hope surged. "Kaoru..." I cupped her face in my hand tenderly. Could it be? Would she?

"I just can't deal with this right now," she said wearily. "I'm confused. I can't give you an answer."

I hushed her. "There is no need to answer at the moment. I just had to tell you what I feel. You have to understand...I'm not like the others."

That was the brunt of it, wasn't it? She's afraid of letting anyone get through her barriers, men in particular. She had kept everyone away for so long that anyone who got too close to it put her on the defensive.

"I will keep that in mind," she said softly.

I could not help but give a small smile.

Still thinking with her mind. When will she let her heart do the thinking, I wonder?

Of that she is capable of, I am sure. Truth be told, the one person who just might have gotten through her walls on some occasions is Yahiko. His innocence does not frighten her like all the rest of us do, and perhaps it is because she is certain that the child will not betray her.

I put a thin layer of gauze on her forehead, the ointment holding it in place. It would be enough to protect her scratches until the ointment dries off and makes it safe enough to leave the wound exposed.

Finishing up, I willed myself to be brazen and brushed my lips on her temple with care.

She was a bit surprised, but that was of little consequence. I had made it my resolution since my talk with the monks that I would be more open about how I feel with regards to her. Loving caresses fall under that resolve.

"I will be out for a while," I said, pocketing the jar of healing salve and closing up the medicine box. "This salve needs replenishing and there are other things I must attend to as well. In the meantime, please stay here...where you are safe."

Kaoru was still a bit flustered when she said, "The groceries need to be-"

"If you must, you can wait for me. I will be back in time to accompany you."

"Kenshin," she said.

"Yes?"

"You are coddling me," she pointed out, throwing back the words I had used to describe her actions yesterday with Yahiko.

I chuckled. "I am in love with you. That is my excuse."

She blushed.

It will take some time for her to get used to my philandering.

"M-Mou..." I heard her say. She then grabbed the medicine box and got up, hastening to put it away.

As she disappeared into the house, I headed on my way.

My first stop was the clinic. Like I said, the healing salve was of great demand in our little household, and having none of it when we need it would be most inconvenient.

Dr. Genzai greeted me warmly when I stepped through the clinic doors. He was talking to a patient and writing something on a piece of paper, probably instructions for treatment. The waiting room was quite full, so I stayed at the door so as not to get into anybody's way.

Dr. Genzai asked me how everyone was doing. I said that we were all fine and in good health, which was enough for the kind doctor.

Ayame and Suzume came bounding out, attaching themselves to my legs and pleading for me to play a game with them.

"It would please this unworthy one immensely," I said, smiling at them. "But I'm afraid that I cannot, right now. I have some grown-up things to do."

They pouted but continued to demand for my attention.

Megumi soon appeared and she grinned when she saw me. "Ken-san! Nice of you to drop by. Is Tanuki-chan around or do I have you all to myself?"

How she revels in teasing. "I am quite by myself, Megumi-dono," I replied pleasantly.

"Ohohoho! Finally came to your senses, did you?" She said. "I really couldn't understand what you see in that silly little dojo girl when you can have a sophisticated woman like me, Ken-san." She laughed again.

"Oro!" If she only knew how that "silly little dojo girl" could "out-sophisticate" her, but then, she always meant these things in jest. The lady doctor has a good heart. She knows that there was no such comparison between her and Kaoru. Megumi is smart enough to be aware of the fact that Kaoru is the one I love because she is Kaoru, and not because Kaoru is any better or worse than she is.

"What brings you here?" Megumi asked. "I hope it's because you need the fox treatment. Ohohoho!"

In jest or not, Megumi sure knows how to make me blush. Ayame and Suzume blinked innocently at her and began to ask if I had a "boo-boo." The other patients were already wondering if there was something going on between the doctor and me.

"Um..." I hastened to take the salve-jar from my sleeve. "We ran out..."

Megumi rolled her eyes around. "I figured as much." She took the jar and made for the next room. "Wait here while I get you a supply."

"Thank you," I said.

With the children in a flurry, I crouched down to amuse the girls with a few hand tricks. Of course, they were delighted and demanded that I keep showing it to them until they figured out how I managed to get the tiny coin from my hand to Ayame's ear.

I was getting ready to perform the magic trick again when from my vantage-point, I saw somebody very significant walk past the clinic.

Nakagura Daisuke, dressed in western clothing. Nothing very fancy, just something a foreign bookkeeper would wear to his work.

I stood up abruptly. "Dr. Genzai, please tell Megumi-dono that I will come back later to pick up the new supply. I must go."

"It will be ready in a minute, Himura-san. If you can just wait..." Began Dr. Genzai.

I made a hasty bow and I peeled Ayame and Suzume gently from me. "I am very sorry, but I cannot wait that long at this time. I will come back."

Before Dr. Genzai and the children could say anything more, I hurried out of the clinic and into the street.

I spotted Nakagura Daisuke in the distance and I quickened my pace to follow him.

Of course, this could be nothing. He may just be a man who needed to get something done in this part of town. Never mind that he had to walk two hours from his home just to get here. People do such things. There ought to be nothing unusual about that.

It was even probable to think that he had been coming here all the time, and it's just that I did not know him before this and to me he was just another face in the crowd.

But still...

Trying to look casual, and at the same time follow him around, was no easy task, but I managed it only because Daisuke never looked to his side nor did he ever stop to talk to anybody else. Wherever he was going, he had to get there with nothing to delay him.

I caught him checking his pocket watch once, and after he did, he quickened his pace.

Following him for about an hour, I found myself in town, where all the offices and government officials converged.

I must say, this is very convenient, considering I had been planning to be here anyway.

It dawned on me just how convenient tailing him had been, because moments later, Nakagura Daisuke climbed the steps of the Municipal Hall, right where several government officials, one of them Kawaji Toshiyoshi, held office.

**THE SPY**

I joined Sano and Kyosuke in the kitchen, not quite recovered from my talk with Kenshin.

Sauntering in with a troubled look on my face, I headed straight for the vegetable basket.

I could feel the two men giving each other questioning glances, but I ignored them. I had more important things to think about.

So the rurouni loves me.

He loves me for goodness sake.

What am I supposed to say to something like that?

Gods! I know I'm attracted to him, but could I actually be feeling love? I mean, a person is just supposed to know, right? So maybe I don't really love him like that. Heck, all the other girls keep on saying that when one is in love, there's this gushy, mushy feeling that makes you shudder when he's near, makes you sleepless at night, and makes you glow whenever you think no one is looking. So then, perhaps I'm not in love...

Wait.

I'm not mushy-gushy, I don't shudder and for crying out loud, the only reason I'm not glowing is because I lack sleep for reasons entirely different from thinking about him.

Okay, so this isn't the time to gauge myself via the standard Lovesick-o-Meter.

He was awfully sweet yesterday though, and I could think of hundreds of situations where he truly made me smile...and cry.

Damn! This is silly! I'm not in love!

He kisses really well though. I can certainly do with a man kissing me like that all the time. It wasn't just the way he did it, but what went with it. Feels kinda nice to be loved like that...

"What's with the grin, Kamiya?"

I snapped out of my musings and realized Kyosuke had asked me something. Grinning, he says? Was I grinning? I instantly frowned.

"None of your business," I told him, swiping out a kitchen knife and holding it up.

Kyosuke backed off. "Whoa. Easy on the kitchenware."

"You know, you and Kenshin have been acting weird since I first got here," Sano pointed out, munching on a peeled carrot. "Do you realize that you came in here like you've just been through some kind of war..."

I glared at him and snatched the bandage from my forehead. That's three people who told me I'm not looking my usual gorgeous self. What is wrong with these men? Don't they know enough never to criticize a woman's looks? Sano continued. "And then you get this stupid smile on your face..."

I took a carrot and violently sliced it in half. "In case you haven't noticed, Sano. For the past week, my life has been an open book. It's been pretty real, but I'd appreciate some privacy of thought, if you don't mind."

"Yeow, what a bitch," Sano muttered.

"Always knew it," Kyosuke said.

Is there no end to this miserable morning? I give up.

I put down the kitchen knife and muttered, "I'm going to take a bath," while I sauntered out the door to make a hasty retreat.

I was on my way to my room to make a quick stop for my things when I heard a knock on my front gate.

Since none of my acquaintances were so polite as to knock before waltzing right into my property, I concluded that this was someone I didn't know, so when I went to see who it was, I did it cautiously.

I saw a man wearing some sort of uniform. He didn't look like a cop.

He bowed to me. "Madame, my mistress is inquiring whether one Himura Kenshin lives here."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who's your mistress?" I asked.

"Mistress Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime is in the carriage behind me," he replied.

Kido... I took a second to think, then I stepped out on the street. "I will speak to your mistress," I told him, walking to the carriage he was referring to.

He did not stop me. Actually, he gave me a permissive bow and gestured to the carriage window.

"Kido-sama," said the man behind me. "The lady wishes to speak to you."

I felt a little awkward standing at her carriage window like a beggar. By the looks of her carriage and entourage (which was composed of the guy who was at my gate, a footman and a driver), it seemed like she ranked among the elite. Heck, her three names screamed "nobility" if the hime at the end of it was any indication.

The window curtain was lifted and I saw a heart-wrenchingly beautiful woman. She had her hair tied up in perfect loops and swirls, dotted by fine pearls and ivory combs. She needed no powder or rouge to make her face flawless, and I can make out, with what little I can see of her kimono, the finest embroidery and silk.

After my initial shock of her loveliness, my thoughts took a different turn. She looked...awfully familiar...

Her delicate hand peeped out of the sill so she can lean over comfortably and talk to me.

She smiled gently. "Is your master in, good lady?"

Master? Is she talking about Kenshin? Okay fine, compared to her, I look like a serving woman. I can handle that. I already know this isn't one of my better days. That makes four.

Mustering what little dignity I had left, I smiled back, pretending that she had not offended me at all. "I am the master of this dojo, Kido-san. I am Kamiya Kaoru. You caught me in the midst of training."

She blushed deeply. "I am very sorry. I should have known who you were."

Oh? And why is that? "It's alright," I replied instead. "Your assistant tells me that you are looking for Kenshin."

Matsuhime blinked uncertainly. "I was told he lives here...you are his wife, then? He has taken your family name?"

I could tell that this presumption gave her much distress. Is she...is she Kenshin's old girlfriend?

There was an odd thump in the pit of my stomach when the thought crossed my mind. She's so pretty...and perfect...and I'm so...

Shaking my head, I replied. "No, I am not his wife."

This confused her even more. I suppose, for a proper lady like her, my living arrangements with Kenshin is a bit...well, odd to say the least, scandalous at its worst. There was no plausible explanation for him to take up residence in a woman's home except maybe if the woman were his lover.

I continued to explain. "Kenshin is a very good friend of mine and he has nowhere else to go. Not many people understand or even approve of his staying here, but rest assured, it isn't as bad as it looks. However, that is of little importance right now. Kenshin isn't here, and I am expecting him back some time in the afternoon. I am certain that whatever it is you are here for, he would be very glad to receive you. If you'll allow me to be so forward, may I ask what your relation to Master Katsura Kogoro is?"

She seemed somewhat surprised that I knew Katsura Kogoro by his new name, Kido Takayoshi. It isn't very common knowledge.

"He...is my father," Matsuhime replied in a soft voice these noblewomen are so apt to take.

I did not know Kogoro sired heirs. She certainly looked mature enough to be Kenshin's ex-girlfriend, but certainly not young enough to be Kogoro's daughter. Besides, if she was indeed born at the start of the Bakumatsu, she shouldn't be alive. The entire clan save Kogoro was supposed to have been wiped out. However, I voiced none of these thoughts. "Kenshin reveres him still. Is Katsura-sama with you, per chance?"

Her eyes lowered. "Father died three years ago."

"I am sorry," I said solemnly. I did not know that. There was word of him having been appointed as a cabinet adviser or member, I'm not sure, maybe four years back, but I did not know he had died. "Kenshin will be very sad to hear that. Would you like me to relay any particular message to him for when he gets back?"

"If it is all right Kamiya-san, I would like to return in the evening and talk to him myself," she replied. "If it is not any trouble."

"Of course it isn't," I said, somewhat crisply. There's something about this woman that's rubbing me the wrong way. I don't know what it is. She's awfully polite, and she even looks kind, but there's something about her that doesn't jive with me. To top it all off, I feel like I know her from somewhere. "We shall expect you in the evening then."

"Thank you Kamiya-san, for your graciousness," she responded, inclining her head forward for an effected bow. "Please just tell him that Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime came by."

"Certainly."

Her curtain went down and the assistant boarded the vehicle by sitting beside the coachman.

With a sound from the driver, the carriage moved forward and headed on its way.

Gracious my ass.

What does that woman want with my Kenshin?

And what's the big idea of her coming here and looking so glossy while I looked like a tossed-out rag when there was every possibility of Kenshin seeing us both in my state of ugliness?

Going inside, I made a special note to clean up and make myself presentable, especially tonight, for when that princess comes to pay Kenshin a visit.

**THE HITOKIRI**

Now that I'm here, standing in front of the Municipal building, I might as well pay my visit to Kawaji Toshiyoshi. It might shed some light on what Daisuke is doing here after all.

Sword at my hip, I strode into the building trying to look terribly important. There was something to be said about having red hair, an X-scar on ones face and a pink gi. It was my passport to every government building in the area. No one dared to stop me simply because they all knew me as Himura Kenshin, free-lancing defender of the peace, Meiji Era. And in spite of my sword's reputation of having a reversed edge, people preferred to stay clear of it nonetheless, not that I would attack them unwontedly or anything like that. At least there is a smidgen of a good thing about being known as Hitokiri Battousai, for whatever it's worth.

Feeling curious eyes upon me, I climbed the steps to the second landing and made straight for Kawaji's office. I was met at the receiving room by his assistant's nervous smile.

"I would like to see Kawaji-dono, good sir," I said with a polite bow. "Is he available?"

"O-Of course, Himura-san," he said, getting to his feet. "Please wait while I tell him you are here."

He didn't take more than a minute inside before he told me I could go in.

Walking through the door, I saw the upright frame of Kawaji Toshiyoshi. He didn't look much, small and essentially balding, one wouldn't think that he could handle men like Saitoh, but he did, and he continues to do so. On that alone, he was not to be trifled with.

Of course, we were both small men who could take on Saitoh, if on different arenas.

Kawaji flashed an amused smile upon seeing me. "Your ability to strike fear into the hearts of men never ceases to amaze me, Himura. My assistant's teeth were practically chattering."

"This unworthy one does not mean to terrify, Kawaji-dono," I said, taking the western style seat he offered me.

"You never do," said Kawaji with a chuckle. "And what can I do for you? Lord knows, this government owes you."

The man does me a great service by cutting to the chase so quickly. "This is a rather delicate matter, Kawaji-dono. This involves your man, Saitoh Hajime."

Kawaji raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"I have reason to believe that he is involved in an intricate murder plot against certain members of a secret faction that existed during the Boshin Wars," I said straightforwardly.

Kawaji chuckled. "Isn't that always the case?"

He is a prudent man, this Chief of Police. Stands to reason why he is where he is. "This time it is different. He is very involved. The killings point to him."

Kawaji would have sat very still if not for the ponderous tapping of his finger.

I wondered if I had offended him. After all, he was in effect, Saitoh's boss, and good leaders feel responsibility for their underlings. I thought it best to wait for him to speak first.

"Himura-san," he finally began with a solemn glimmer in his eyes. "You are one of the few men I trust, primarily because I believe in your loyalty to this country. Essentially, we are working for the same side, and we have the same aims with regards to the well being of Japan. However, I do believe that there are forces that can...shall we say...distract a man. If I may ask, what has prompted you to such an investigation as this?"

I smiled slightly. "Someone very special to me is in danger, Kawaji-san. Though my quest is quite personal, I do not seek revenge for anyone or myself. Men like Saitoh...I prefer not to trust him with a sword or the authority to wield it, though his principles are very strong. He deserves some merit for that, but when he threatens those I care about, I will not stand for it. I used to love Japan solely on its own virtues, but now, I love Japan for a particular set of people it harbors."

Kawaji nodded sagely. "You would choose your dojo family over Japan."

"Wouldn't you, Kawaji-dono?"

"Perhaps I would. Any man who has heart would."

"So is this about Japan?" I asked, trying to understand what he was getting at.

Kawaji shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not sure. It's about the Japanese system of government, and Saitoh represents the system as it is now."

"Funny you should say such a thing," I said frankly. "Personally, I think Saitoh hardly fits into this time of peace."

"We are not quite in that time of peace, Himura-san. Right now, we are in a period of transition, and Saitoh aids in the transition, whether or not he'll fit into the result of it," replied Kawaji. Suddenly, his thread went in another direction. "There is a probe."

What? I did not quite catch that. "Pardon me...a probe?"

Kawaji nodded. "The transition is coming to an end. Sectors are already considering whether Saitoh belongs in the result..."

It was not quite clear to me at this moment, so I continued to ask. "Are you telling me that Saitoh is under evaluation?"

"Under fire, is more like it," Kawaji said. "The Government is done using him, now they want to wash their hands of the things Saitoh had to do to 'ease' the transition, so to speak. They do so by their bureaucratic witch hunting. This is strangely familiar, isn't it? The government has apparently not learned its lessons from Shishio."

"Does Saitoh know about this?" I asked.

"Of course he does," Kawaji replied. "In fact, he told me that he saw this coming. So you see, whatever murder you think he may have committed, I hardly think Saitoh would turn stupid and do his dirty work in a time where they're just waiting for him to screw up."

A valid point. However, that's assuming he doesn't want to get caught. Kawaji knows this. Kawaji knows Saitoh.

"I suppose you know of his current investigation of the police station break in that occurred several months back," I said. "He is putting a lot of time on something I perceive to be trivial, Kawaji-san."

I was fishing, and I hope I can pull it off. I had no idea if Saitoh's investigation was related to his travels, and I had to make sure.

"I won't even ask how you found that out, Himura, but I am certain Saitoh has his reasons. Do not ask me to question them."

So it's true. The break in is related to his trips around Japan. Kawaji may not know about the murders, but he acknowledges that the Saitoh has been busy on the "break in" case.

"You are a man who services only Japan, Kawaji-dono," I pointed out, finally deciding to reveal the true nature of my visit. "If I come to you with evidence showing that Saitoh is behind all the killings, will you support me?"

Kawaji took a moment to be astonished then he sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I will appeal for the warrant myself, Himura."

I nodded. "Thank you. That is all I needed to hear."

"I trust you will be very prudent in this investigation of yours, Himura-san. No jumping to conclusions."

"That I can promise, Kawaji-dono."

Going down the steps of the municipal hall, I came upon a very odd sight.

At the corner of the building stood Nakagura Daisuke, his back towards me. He was speaking to someone I could not see, almost as if that person were hiding. Perhaps I was so struck by suspicion that I did not notice myself staring rather openly, not until that same faceless person noticed me and made a hasty retreat before I could recognize who he was.

Puzzled, Daisuke looked behind him to see what had caused his companion to flee.

And so I had been spotted, by Daisuke himself, and he was now approaching me.

"Fancy meeting you here, Himura-san," he said, his face as expressionless as when I first met him.

I bowed a greeting and replied. "Good day to you, Nakagura-dono. I did not expect to see you by the municipal hall." Talking to strange men, I added to myself.

"My work has brought me to this office building," he replied. "My home is only an hour's walk from here, shorter still by carriage."

"Ah," I said, smiling. "And how is Soushi-dono?"

"She is quite alright. So, what business brings you here, Himura-san?"

Mere chit-chat. He does not seem discomfited by my presence, but then it's hard to tell with Daisuke. He had only been clear about his ki once, and has ventured to be more guarded about it thereafter. "I paid my good friend Kawaji-dono a visit. And you?"

"Ah, I was about to see him myself, for a matter I am currently assigned to undertake," he replied. "I work for the Department of Internal Affairs."

Interesting. The DIA, a department sometimes affectionately (or antagonistically) called the Department of Infernal Affairs, since they mostly liked to play devil's advocate. They concentrated on pinpointing anomalies, questioning government officials' motives and basically kicking people out because of one incident or another. It makes me wonder...is he the "probe" Kawaji had told me about. It's more likely than not.

"Oro! Is Kawaji-dono in trouble?" I asked, feigning shock.

He cocked a smile. "Himura-san, you know I wouldn't tell you if he was. Though I must say, he is not the object of my...assignment."

I see. "I will ask no more questions, Nakagura-dono. I've been nosy enough. So, you are on break, then? I imagine work like yours is very tiring in this age of transition," I said, effecting small talk of the most insignificant nature.

"Transition is the key word. However, we're busier than I'd like to be," Daisuke said neutrally. "Where does your business bring you now, Himura-san?"

"Oh, just around," I replied vaguely. "Maybe to the market..."

"Very well. I will not keep you. Please say hello to Kaoru-san and Kyosuke-san for me," he said, inclining his head politely.

"Indeed I will, Nakagura-dono," I responded.

Daisuke made his way into the building.

A probe...how does Saitoh feel about a bunch of people trying to prove his incapability of administering his duties? Well, that is insubstantial. There are other ways I could use this knowledge to our advantage.

Armed, and perhaps a bit dangerous, I made my way to the local police station.

It's really about time I paid my favorite police officer a visit.

My reception at the police station was by far warmer than the impolite whispering and cautious looks I got from my walk through the municipal hall. It's rather amusing to the think that the only reason the cops were not afraid of me was because their boss was a lot more terrifying. Sort of like...since they had to deal with Mibu's Wolf every day, dealing with Battousai once in a while did not seem so bad after all.

"Is Fujita-san in?" I asked one of the more approachable faces in the station. I looked at his nameplate. "Uchino-san?" I added.

Uchino nodded and smiled. "He is right in his office, Himura-san. He's been in there all morning. I don't think he's in a very good mood."

Him and I both. "I think this unworthy one will walk right in, anyway."

The policeman shrugged. "Be my guest, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thank you, Uchino-san," I said, giving him a respectful bow.

He looked a little embarrassed that I was giving him such a courtesy, and he hastily returned it.

I headed straight for Saitoh's office and knocked.

There was a silence at first, but I did not bother to knock again. He knew I was there.

After a while, I heard Saitoh's gruff voice through the door. "What are you waiting for Battousai? A red carpet?"

Nothing extraordinary about his mood. He just about sounds like his usual self.

I walked into the smoke-ridden room. Stifling a cough, I smiled at him.

"That smile unnerves me, Battousai. Get rid of it," he said, leaning back on his chair calmly.

Ah, he is in a bad mood. Nothing unnerves Saitoh, but he most certainly needed to snap at me for something. Keen on irritating him but not wanting to anger him completely, I compromised by lessening the brightness of my smile. "Good morning, Saitoh. I've come to ask if you've made any progress in your investigation."

He scoffed, mostly to himself. He added to the hanging haze of smoke in the room and peered at me. "Did you seriously think I would answer questions pertaining to that?"

"I thought maybe you wouldn't," I replied, seating myself comfortably on the chair in front of him.

Saitoh's eyes glowed as he peered at me. "I want Kamiya and Tenshio, you know that."

"I will never let you have them. Kaoru, especially," I said, resisting the urge to click my sword in its scabbard as a subtle warning. I would not do to be so aggressive. Saitoh would take up the challenge in a heartbeat. "I did not come here to offer them to you."

"I thought maybe you didn't," he shot right back at me with a feral smile. "Then why are you here?"

"To tell you that when it comes down to it, you will be dealing with me, whatever your agenda is," I said to him, the smile gone from my face. "It wouldn't do to cross Battousai after all."

"Threatening me now, are you?"

"Warning you, Saitoh. There is a difference."

"Either way, do you think it would stop me?"

"Just so you know," I replied.

The atmosphere became dense, and it wasn't the smoke.

We sat staring at each other, neither of us blinking.

There was a knock at the door. The tension eased, but it in no way disappeared.

"Come in," Saitoh barked.

A police officer came in nervously, holding a document. "Fujita-sama...these papers need your signature..." he said.

Saitoh took them from the man's outstretched hand and placed it on his table. He signed it, stamped his personal seal consisting of three petal-like ovals placed over a black web-like pattern within a circle, and gave it back. "Now get out."

The man nodded, muttered his thanks and skittering out of the room.

I suppose that's my cue to go, unless I wanted to cross swords with Saitoh that very instant. "I must be going. I have errands to run for Kaoru."

"Is that all you came here for? I had expected more from you."

I turned to leave. "That is all-oh wait, there's one more thing," I said. "I wish you the best of luck in your evaluation, Saitoh. It would be a shame if Nakagura-dono considers you unfit for your post."

The second he took to be surprised was instantly swept away by his fanged grin. "Acknowledge, Battousai. And I just bet you'd be utterly crestfallen by my demise, should that pencil-pushing nitwit decide to can me."

So, it is Daisuke after all. "Of course," I replied, giving him a bow and then making for the door.

He understands that there is no way I could have gotten the information if I didn't have friends in high places.

I do not normally like playing the game of intrigue, but this time, subtlety will work best, if only to forestall any head-on collisions that may result from a more aggressive approach. I just want him to know that I have the means to put him away, if necessary. At this point, Saitoh has to know that I can, and I will, if I have to.

It may not be commensurate with the ways of the rurouni, but the wolf always did manage to bring out the worse in me.

**THE SPY**

Yahiko walked into the sitting room. He hadn't dressed and he was still a bit rosy from sleep.

"Good afternoon, sleepy head," I told him.

Yahiko's eyes roved to Sano and Kyosuke who were currently mulling over a game of Go nearby, then drowsily, he turned his eyes in my direction. "Well, you're lookin' pretty cleaned up, busu. What's the occasion? Or are you just being prissy?"

I look like hell, they complain. I make myself look presentable, I get called prissy. What the heck do they want from me anyway?

Deciding to ignore the insult he was trying to wheedle into his comments, I asked him if he was hungry.

He said, yeah, of course he's hungry. What did I expect from someone who hasn't eaten since dinner last night?

I am fated to live in a house full of brats.

I told him that there was a lunch spread put aside for him in the pantry, and that all he had to do was remove the lid from the bamboo steaming pots and he'd have a special treat. I had endeavored to make some dimsum, something I learned from a Chinese guest father had in the dojo once upon a time. Sano and Kyosuke had declared it superb, so Yahiko ought to like it. Monkey does, monkey do.

Yahiko then muttered something and left for the kitchen.

It's a bit past three. Kenshin hasn't returned. I'm thinking of putting off my grocery shopping, considering I'm a little too fixed up to go gallivanting in the market.

I am being silly, I know. I mean, so what if Matsuhime's gorgeous, right? Why should I get worked up about that? Despite the less-than-stellar remarks made about my looks this morning, I've got my own assets. She may look like an empress, but I'd make an excellent bodyguard to royalty!

That...didn't sound as good as I'd hoped, but heck! The point is...

What the hell is my point?

"I'm home!" Came the rurouni's voice from the gate.

Well, he's a gem. He's already gone grocery shopping, it seems.

Getting to my feet, I met him at the walkway to help him with his load. "I should've known you'd go and do something like this, Kenshin. It's just like you."

He stared at me for a second before gently refusing my help with a wave of his hand. "You...look exceedingly nice, Kaoru. Are you expecting company?"

I blushed and took a parcel from him anyway. "Well, not me exactly. Your guest. She will be coming here this evening to see you."

"Oro! Anybody I know?" He asked.

Staring at him intently for his reaction, I told him. "Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime."

He seemed astonished. "She came by to see me? I wonder why. Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime, you say? Did she marry into Katsura-sama's family? Odd of her to keep her maiden name...she's quite conservative."

I found myself glaring. "So what if she did marry into the family?" I asked. Okay, so obviously Kenshin knows her, but he doesn't know that she's Katsura Kogoro's daughter. Very odd, but for some reason, that didn't seem important at the moment.

The pinch of hostility in my voice perplexed him. "Nothing. This unworthy one's just wondering when she started calling herself by Katsura-sama's name, that's all."

I was still frowning when I remarked, "That's strange. Didn't you know that Matsuhime-san's his daughter?"

Kenshin looked more surprised than ever. "Oro! She isn't Katsura-sama's daughter! I'm sure of that. Are we talking about the same Matsuhime-dono?"

Grrrr! Is he hiding something from me? "Well, I don't know! I've never met her before! She said she was Katsura-san's daughter. Why would she lie to me about something like that?"

"She was just plain Imaedigawa Matsuhime before," Kenshin pointed out ponderously.

Plain? That name isn't the least bit plain. Someone who now has three names can't possibly be plain! "Hey, I'm just relaying to you what she said," I shot back a bit hotly. "Please just tell him that Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime came by," I said in an exaggerated imitation of her soft breathy voice.

"Are you sure she did not say that she was Katsura-sama's daughter-in-law?" He insisted.

Tightening my hold on the basket of groceries, I stomped my foot in frustration and perhaps with something more than that. "She said daughter! And what the hell do you care if she's a daughter-in-law, you Casanova!" I cried, shoving the basket back into his hands and stomping off angrily.

"O-Oro! Kaoru-! What's a Casanova?"

Argh! Men! I don't know why I give them a chance at all! Great way to romance me, Kenshin! Promising me the stars one minute then stabbing me right through the heart the next! All the same, I tell you. All the same!

As I stormed back into the sitting room, I heard Kyosuke clucking.

He was shaking his head and Sano was smirking.

"What?" I demanded from Kyosuke.

"Me thinks the green eyed monster doth rear its ugly head," he said sagely.

"For your information, Shakespeare," I began loftily. "The green eyed monster has nothing to do with this!" Me? Jealous? What a farce!

"Um...Kaoru?" Kenshin said nervously from the door. "Was it something I said?"

"Ugh! Leave me alone!" I told him heartlessly, heading for my room.

"But-"

"When a woman gets that way, Himura," I heard Kyosuke say. "It's really best that you butt out for the moment."

These men think that they've got us all figured out, don't they? Well, screw their complacent little assess! I could care less!

Jealous...the nerve!

I slammed the shoji to my room shut and it made a pert bop. Ooh! What I'd give for one of those western doors that just make excellent slamming noises!

By the time that woman decided to make an appearance, I was fairly prepared to give my best hostess performance. I was determined to make her as welcome as possible and at the same time give Kenshin the coldest shoulder ever to grace the earth since the last ice age. A fairly easy task, since I had been ignoring Kenshin since he upset me this afternoon.

Sano, Kyosuke and even Yahiko were drooling stupidly as she glided into the front lawn with her assistant escorting her. He carried with him a parcel with great ceremony.

I bowed to her respectfully. "Welcome to the Kamiya Dojo, Kido-san," I said.

She bowed in return. "Thank you, Kamiya-san. You honor me with your hospitality."

"When did busu get so polite?" I heard Yahiko whispering to Sano.

I ignored him and was about to extend my invitation when Kenshin spoke.

"Matsuhime-dono, it's been a long time," he said with a smile.

Matsuhime smiled back with such gorgeous ease that the others fell to drooling some more.

"Himura-san," she almost whispered. "It is good to see you again."

All right. They are grinning at each other like morons. I can do this.

I invited her inside with perfect politeness. She expressed more pleasure over my courteousness and then turned to her escort. The assistant bowed his exit and handed the parcel over to his mistress, then he left for the carriage parked outside.

We headed inside, and when we were all seated, I made the proper introductions to the others. She flinched a bit upon being introduced to Kyosuke. I don't know why. It's not like Kyosuke's being his usual lecherous self.

With introductions done, I served tea, after which she inclined her head formally in my direction. She was asking permission to speak first. Somehow, I wish she were more candid.

"Please," I said.

"Himura-san, I had been wanting to see you since I learned recently that you are living in Edo, here at the Kamiya Dojo. I was...a bit reluctant, since my brother Kosei told me that it would seem rather improper of me, a woman, to go haring off to see a man. So, I timed my visit for when I actually had to be here for a different reason. Kosei had to concede."

Isn't she charmingly prim and proper? I kept my face neutral. I was an expert actress after all.

"Oro! You can do no wrong, Matsuhime-dono."

Grrrr!

"I am just a lowly samurai," he continued. "No one will think the worse of you for coming to see this unworthy one. However, you must pardon me...since when did you have a brother named Kosei?"

She chuckled. "Since Father Kogoro adopted Kosei and I."

"Adopted! This is interesting news! And a son as well?" Kenshin said with genuine surprise. "But then, you were always Katsura-sama's favorite, and with your parents gone, I suppose it was inevitable. How is he?"

Oh my gosh! I had forgotten to tell Kenshin about his master!

To Matsuhime's credit, she did not divulge my lapse. Her face took on a melancholic expression as she said, "I am sorry that the news has not reached you. Father passed away three years ago. I would have told you about it, but I did not know where you were."

This distressed Kenshin.

Oh this is just great...now I feel sorry for him. The icicles are melting.

"I am sorry as well," Kenshin said sadly. "I wish I could have spoken to him before he died."

She nodded. "Do not feel so bad, Himura-san. He remembered you fondly, and that makes up for a lot of it. Before he died, he tasked me to give this to you. It is your fief, for your loyal service to him." She presented the parcel to Kenshin who took it with a flustered expression.

"Matsuhime-dono, he has already showed his generosity to this unworthy one before," Kenshin said, somewhat abashed.

"He said it was not enough," Mastuhime replied. "And that you should consider this as something sort of an inheritance. The wishes of a dying man, so to speak."

"Wow! Open it, Kenshin!" Yahiko suddenly cried.

I shot Yahiko a disdainful look but said nothing. The young boy wilted at my gaze.

Mastuhime chuckled. "It's quite alright. You may open it if you wish, Kenshin."

"Maa...maybe later. There are more important things to think about right now," he replied.

Hell froze over again, at least for me. What is he smiling at her so much for?

Biting down a glare, I offered Matsuhime more tea and quite prettily offered the pot to everyone else, except Kenshin whom I can tell was ready to whisper his thanks to me and was held short by my abrupt, "And you Kenshin? Oh, you still have some. Oh well."

I addressed Matsuhime. "How did you finally come across the information that Kenshin was here, Kido-san?"

"That is a rather disturbing story, Kamiya-san. It involves you, and Tenshio-san." she replied.

I blinked, so did Kyosuke. We did not expect this. No one did.

"K-Kyosuke and me?" I responded, a bit of my composure slipping. "How did that happen?"

"A police officer who identified himself as Fujita Goro came to my home in Shiroishi and asked me about certain things," she replied. "He asked me...about the Shinobi Kei Gaikotsu."

Somewhere in Japan, a pin dropped and I was certain we all heard it.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**THE SPY**

Who IS this person? How does she know about the Shikeigai?

Katsura might have told her about us, but then she said things about knowing who I was. What part did she play in the Ishinshishi's deceptions?

Kenshin looked absolutely knocked out of his wits. Did he feel betrayed that she did not tell him of her knowledge before? Were they that intimate with each other that he could not fathom that she had kept secrets from him?

"I will tell you first about Fujita-san's visit," she began solemnly. "May I speak freely of the Shikeigai, before everyone? I assume you have told them. They seem to be your family and I could not see you, Kamiya-san, as one who would keep such a secret from them."

Well, isn't that nice? An empress and a conscience squad all in one. Matsuhime, you think too highly of me. I did keep it from them, and have just recently revealed my past. However, it was like her, being a woman of good breeding, to think best of those she deals with. Malicious thoughts would never taint her words. Either that or she's incredibly naïve.

I nodded speechlessly in response to her.

Thus empowered, Matsuhime continued. "He told me that he was conducting an investigation about the deaths of certain members of a rumored organization that might have existed during the Boshin Wars. He said he came to me since I am Father Kogoro's adopted daughter, quite known to have been privy to a lot of matters regarding the Ishinshishi. I was astonished that he found me in the first place. Not many people know that my brother and I have moved from Chugoku all the way to Shiroishi-Tohoku after father died. I commend him for his tracking skills."

I saw Kenshin's fist clenching tightly. "Saitoh was courteous, I hope."

She smiled at him. "Very much so. I can tell you, his manners surprised me. Mibu's Wolf is not known for his gentility."

"Are we talking about the same guy here, Kido-san?" Sano asked.

Matsuhime chuckled. "You know him, I see."

Yahiko scoffed. "Are you kidding? He's constantly in our hair!"

"Well young man, you can imagine my astonishment then," she said, patting Yahiko's head.

Yahiko cringed at the little-boy treatment Matsuhime was imparting to him, but since she was guest, and a very beautiful one at that, he made no vocal complaints.

"He told me that it was in the interest of justice that he came to me, saying that it was very important that I tell the truth. I had my reservations, because information like that, if entrusted to the wrong people, can be used against my father. To soil his clean reputation, but Fujita-san seemed like a man of principle, so I said I would tell him what I knew. Through the course of his questioning, I revealed to him that the Shikeigai did exist, and that Father Kogoro had conspired to support it, albeit reluctantly," she narrated. "You must believe me when I say Father was reluctant."

"We do," I said in all sincerity. I studied Kenshin's face for his reaction. There was none. I could tell that Kenshin still abhors the idea that Katsura played any part in it at all, but I knew that Kenshin's respect for Katsura remains strong in spite of it.

"Yeah. I always liked your old man," Kyosuke remarked casually.

"Th-Thank you," responded Matsuhime, a bit flustered by his somewhat unrefined language. "He was a good man, and if it was in his power to put a stop to it, he would have, but Master Sakamoto Ryoma had made him promise, on his honor, to continue the Shikeigai should Sakamoto-sama die before the war was over. To my mind, Sakamoto-sama had abused his influence on father, but it was not in my place to question the ways of men, least of all the decision of the one who would eventually adopt me. With that said, I shall get back to the subject of Fujita-san."

Some of the tension eased from Kenshin's face.

We listened to what more she had to say.

"Fujita-san said that it was imperative I name the last remaining Shikeigai, because it was his duty to protect their well-being."

Oh no. Matsuhime-san...so trusting. So honorable...so naïve...you didn't!

"So I told him," she said.

"She did," I muttered to myself unconsciously.

The catch of everyone else's breath was apparent. Kyosuke, especially, who seemed about ready to implode, because he couldn't very well explode. In his crude way, he understood that Matsuhime could not really be faulted for her inability to foster malicious thought. She cannot and would not hold back information in the face of a courteous agent of the government. A government she, along with so many others, believed would be good for the country.

None of us said anything untoward in deference to the purity of her intentions. No one was that heartless, not even me. The deed had been done. There was no use telling her that she had committed a grave mistake.

"When I mentioned your name, Kamiya-san, he was greatly amused..."

I'll bet.

"He said...he said that you had taken up a charity house in your dojo, and that Himura-san was helping you in running it."

If her news hadn't been so earth shattering, all of us would have laughed.

Oh Saitoh, Saitoh...you sarcastic son of a bitch.

Stammering, I explained to her that Fujita-san was just joking, and that I did not run a charity house.

"Could've fooled me," I heard Kyosuke say to himself. I shot him a look that could have slain him on the spot.

She laughed, her melodic voice drifting through the room. "Well, I believed him."

Of course she would.

"But his information about Himura-san struck me. I asked him where this Kamiya Dojo was, and he gave me precise instructions. I did not ask him what your relation was to Himura-san, though. I didn't think it would have been polite of me," she explained, reddening a bit. "And that was it, I suppose. It brought me here, and here I am."

We fell silent, and I was mortally afraid that everyone would burst out in reproach. God knows, my thoughts were pretty nasty, considering.

"Matsuhime-san, you mentioned that you should have recognized me when you first saw me...I cannot quite recall..." I began in desperation.

She blushed furiously. "It is rather delicate...perhaps you would wish for the men to leave the room..."

I raised an eyebrow. Eh? What for? "It's alright. There is nothing these boys don't know about me."

Her beautiful brow knotted. "Are you certain, Kamiya-san? Yahiko-chan..."

Yahiko's eyes flashed. "I'm not-!"

"I'll tell him if he's too young for it," I said, interrupting him.

He simmered.

She nodded, but was still quite uncertain. "V-Very well. My birth mother's name," Matsuhime said. "Is Imaedigawa Saeko, of a very old, noble house, who put great stock on a woman's place in the eyes of society. So much so that they had devised ways to ensure that a woman's reputation is left untouched, even if her virtue isn't."

Matsuhime stared at me expectantly for any indication of my desire to order the men out of the room.

I could tell that they were only vaguely understanding what she was saying, especially Sano and Yahiko who knew little of what actually transpired during my days as a spy. I, on the other hand, felt the full force of her words.

My face paled. I opened my mouth to speak, barely realizing that I was saying anything at all.

"Y-Yahiko," I whispered. "Go to your room."

"What! No!" The child cried.

"Go to your room," Kenshin repeated for me, in a firm but gentle tone.

Yahiko made no further protest. When Kenshin spoke, to him it was law. Looking hurt but compliant, he silently got to his feet and shot me a glare. "I don't know what's going on, but you all know I'll ask you about this some other time."

"I wouldn't expect less, Yahiko-chan," I said, giving him a small smile, conveying that his only fault was that he was too young to have his innocence shaken by such terrible truths. "And I'll hold you to your honor not to eavesdrop, Yahiko."

The young boy cursed at my perfectly aimed declaration. Honor is important to him.

When Yahiko had gone, I spoke to Matsuhime. "It was your mother...and you were...the young woman who..."

She stared at me and then at Kenshin and Sano. When I made no motion to ask them to go, she took a deep breath and continued.

"I was her assistant," Mastuhime said, her cheeks flaming at her own revelations. "Kamiya-san, you must understand, even at a young age, I was taught to believe, with conviction, that women must not beget children outside of marriage. It was with great sincerity that I assisted my mother in preparing the tonic which would prevent any untoward 'accidents'. To me, something like that is a horrible disgrace that I could not allow to happen to any woman, especially for women like you and Miyori-san who had to deal with the possibility through no fault of your own."

Her mother...was the Woodwitch. I remember now. Matsuhime was the young woman who would bring in the dosage tray and then disappear thereafter. I suppose she helped in the preparation.

"What is she talking about, Jou-chan?" Sano asked me, fidgeting in his seat.

Kyosuke scoffed disdainfully. "Don't you get it, rooster head? Your precious Jou-chan didn't survive the war unscathed."

Kenshin shot him a deadly glare.

I placed a hand on Kenshin's arm to soothe him and he took it, holding it tightly.

Turning to Sano, I spoke to him. "Sano, things like that happen in a war. It could not be helped."

Sano cursed like never before. "Jou-chan, are you telling me they...those bastards! Did Saitoh do anything like that to you?" He demanded. "I'll tear him to pieces! That son of a bitch ain't gonna see the light of day when I'm through with him!"

"Saitoh did not hurt me in that way," I told him calmly. "He did, in fact, decapitate one of my...aggressors..."

Matsuhime made a sound of distress.

Kyosuke's eye twitched. "The girls had it easy."

Kenshin's grip tightened on my hand abruptly. The rurouni swore. He swore! "You should not have said that, Kyosuke," I told him.

"Hell! I can say anything I want on the matter!" He said angrily. "You weren't the only one abused out there, and yeah, I think the girls had it easy. You were supposed to be delicate little china dolls, but us guys, we were the hardware, ne? Built to last!"

Matsuhime covered her mouth in shock. Didn't have to be a princess to be offended by that one. Even I, Jaded Bitch of the Bakumatsu, thought his words to be a wee bit excessive.

"That's enough, Kyosuke-san," Kenshin told him grimly.

"I'm going to be sick," Kyosuke said, getting up and leaving the room.

I wanted to tell him that he was the one who started talking about hardware, but then considering he was so upset, I let him be without a word.

"I-I'm sorry," Matsuhime whispered. "I did not mean to cause such discord..."

"It's okay, Kido-san," I told her. "I'm the one who made them stay. N-None of it is your fault."

Well, not intentionally.

She lowered her eyes and I saw it rest on mine and Kenshin's joined hands.

"You are good men, Himura-san, Segara-san," Matsuhime said softly. "It is not out of spite when I say this. In our society, not many men would give women like Kamiya-san the respect they deserve just because fate had dealt such women a brutal blow. I am envious that you have a hold on such noble men, Kamiya-san."

The "noble men" fidgeted uncomfortably on their seats. Compliments like that were scarce and perhaps they didn't know how to handle it.

I tilted my head to the side and smiled at her, appreciating her for saying so. "Maybe I'm just lucky, Kido-san."

Matsuhime smiled back and shook her head. "No. Men like these two...you draw them with your strength." She composed herself for a moment before speaking again. "With that said, I must go."

"Already, Matsuhime-dono?" Kenshin asked her, regret in his eyes. "But you've been here barely half an hour!"

I know he had been hoping to talk about the mundane, perhaps about what Matsuhime's been doing these days, about the things he's gone through after the war, maybe even...about the people he's come to consider his family, about us. But it was inappropriate to expect that now. With the emotions that ran high but a few minutes ago, the mundane has no place here anymore.

"Won't you at least stay for dinner?" I added, for Kenshin's sake.

"I am sorry, but I cannot," she replied as she got to her feet. "It is quite horrible enough that I had caused so much trouble...that in itself is reason enough for me to leave."

I made a motion to protest but she waved it off and continued. "But I was really only planning on staying a while, and I have to meet Master Itagaki Taisuke tomorrow morning. I am telling you that it will be no easy task. He's still sore about Father vetoing his and Master Saigo Takamori's, may his soul rest in peace, proposal to invade Korea."

"Oro!"

That was surreal. Uncle wanted to invade Korea, but dad said no. Not tomorrow. Tomorrow there'll be a sumo match he can't possibly miss. Uncle got angry. He said HE wasn't going to spring for sushi.

"Himura-san, it was wonderful to see you again," she said, giving him a bow. "And it was nice to finally talk to you, Kamiya-san. Segara-san, it was a pleasure."

We all got up to return the courtesy.

"I was hoping to talk to you about certain matters..." Matsuhime said to Kenshin. "But I suppose...it would not do in view of certain circumstances."

I raised an eyebrow and Kenshin gave her a puzzled stare.

"I wish to request that Kamiya-san be the only one to escort me to her gate, if it's alright with you, Kamiya-san," she said.

"Certainly," I replied.

She said her final good byes to the boys and we walked through the footpath.

"Kamiya-san," she began quietly. "I meant what I said about you and the gentlemen back there. I do admire you your strength. 'Tis not a common thing for women of this age."

I felt a little unnerved receiving praise from such a distinguished lady. Strong? And here I thought I was just being bossy. "Th-Thank you."

"Let me tell you...I came here, hoping that I had a chance to earn Kenshin's...regard. I wanted it so much then. I still do, but now I see that I could have no hope of gaining more than his brotherly affection. He has found someone to love."

I stared at her, unable to say anything. This woman who speaks so softly has so far shocked me more times in one night than anyone I have ever met. Life is just one big heck of an irony.

She chuckled. "Do not seem so surprised. We both know that Kenshin is no great ladies man, but for those who cross fates with him, woman or man...he cannot help but make an impression. Perhaps I do love him, but it is nothing to what he feels for you. Please Kamiya-san, do not disappoint him. I understand why he loves you, men like him need extraordinary women like you, but you must see...it is true vise versa as well."

So taken was I about what she was saying that I almost walked right smack into the gate.

She chuckled. "I dare say I am fated to marry a hoity-toity statesman who will be proud of his elegant wife and the offspring she produces. I am resigned to that fate, and maybe it will not be as bad as I make it out to be, but you will definitely lead a more interesting life, Kamiya-san. Your power over these boys...surely you realize you have a responsibility to make them respectable men in this society. It could be done by no one else but you."

I smiled at her as I opened the gate. "I will remember that, Kido-san. You underestimate your own powers to decide your own fate. Kenshin is not the only one who has made an impression."

"It was an honor to meet you, Kamiya-san."

"The honor was all mine, Kido-san," I replied politely. In a way it was true. Even if she did let the proverbial cat out of the bag, she has perhaps realized what a lot of Japanese still refuse to see: The need for transparency, less of the intrigue, faith in a system a lot of us are coming to be skeptical about.

Most assuredly, she was right about assessing Saitoh to be principled. He is, but the clincher was that he was fanatically so, and his principles cannot be measured to ordinary men's. She had no way of knowing that, unless she dealt with Saitoh himself as extensively as we have. She had read him correctly, if not completely.

She left, going straight to her carriage and riding off when she and her entourage were secured.

I watched her for a moment before I shut the door and looked back at the house.

Kenshin halted his discussion with Sano to peer at me curiously.

Though time may eventually have told me certain things, Fate, it seems, is both mischievous and impatient. To introduce me to a woman who knew more about my blessings than I did is no common thing. And to think I was so jealous of her...

I walked up to Kenshin, a sudden shyness overcoming me. I had been horrible to him, belittling his faithful love by my petty jealousies.

"I'm going to talk to Yahiko now. Would you fix the dinner table for me, Kenshin?" I asked.

"Of course, Kaoru."

"Thank you," I said softly.

Taking his hand, I quickly administered my apology to him by placing a tender kiss on his cheek. I felt his surprise, but he turned his face a bit. An intimate gesture, perhaps hoping for something more, but I merely smiled and scampered off.

Some other time, Kenshin. Sano's watching, and he's astonished enough as it is.

Belongs to no man

The golden gaze of a beast

Piercing the shadow

Crouching in my disgrace and covering the bruised flesh, I could not move. I could not speak. It was as if his eyes froze mine, the way his sword had made the terror in my decapitated ravisher's eyes permanent.

Sharpened ears listen

Hears a whimper through the wind

Wolf begins to prowl

He left abruptly, following the sound of what he must perceive as fresh prey. So drawn, so fascinated was I that I followed. This was his den, and he had consumed me with his power.

He catches his prey

The scent of fear thickening

Though I only see

Kyosuke? He is terrified. Mouth agape with his eyes transfixed on the predator. On the other side of the wolf...Miyori? I did not even know...she was here. She is crying, and here I thought we had no more tears to shed.

He unsheathes his claw

Poised to kill...to maim...to harm...?

Only the beast knows

No! Please don't! The wolf has frightened him. Isn't that enough? You have shown your power wolf, do not inflict it upon him! I beg of you to stop.

Belongs to no man

The golden gaze of a beast

Piercing through my soul

Look away, he tells me. Let justice be done.

Filth has its own place

But not in his dominion.

He shall be the judge

Look away, he tells me again, lest his sword find its mark on me. He told Miyori to leave as well. "You have no place here," he said.

'Twas tears that came first

Then I tore my gaze away

The wolf behind me

The scream reverberated through the forest, frightening the birds. They rustled overhead, tearing leaves from their clusters and raining upon me. The horrible bellow continued and I wanted to flee. I had to get away from the sound. I had to get away...but I couldn't. I couldn't move, and when I turned, resolved to...rescue? How can I, when I am so weak? But I had too! Kyosuke needs me! Kyosuke!

But Saitoh was done. Whipping his sword to his side to flick off the blood, he sheathed it right after.

My eyes flung open in the darkness, and then I froze.

There were two men in my room, wrapped from head to foot with midnight hued clothing. They had weapons, knives, and they were going to use it. But then my icy gaze shimmered in the blackness, and they saw that I was roused.

They gasped. They had not expected me to wake up.

"Shit!"

I do not know which one of them spoke, but it hardly matters.

I scrambled to get out of bed, tossing off sheets and instantly finding purchase. They will not succeed.

My senses leapt to attention, my muscles going tense in a familiar rush that bubbled through my very veins. I had no weapon, only my hands.

Crouching to a long unused stance. I waited for their move.

They made a lunge for me but I was prepared. I jumped and landed right on the back of one of my assailants. My weight shoved him to the ground, knocking his forehead against the wooden floor.

He swore vehemently.

First rule of Cat's Paw...avoid a confrontation.

"And where do you think you're going?" Asked the other.

I felt his gloved hand clasp my ankle and I tripped facedown with a crash.

They will not succeed.

Second rule of Cat's Paw...ignore the pain.

Teeth baring from the discomfort of my fall, I let out an angry hiss.

Third rule of Cat's Paw...when given no choice, commence defense.

Twisting my body, I flipped over, swung my leg and made my other foot come in contact with his head. I caught him on the temple, where I had aimed, but my position had been too awkward to render him unconscious. His grip on my ankle loosened and he toppled to his side in a daze.

The other one was recovering. Reaching for my portable writing table in the corner, I picked it up by its leg and flung it right at him, catching him right smack on his nose.

More cursing ensued and I pushed myself to my feet.

I ran out the door, my heart pounding through my chest. I crashed right into somebody who enfolded me in his arms.

Bereft of all feeling except to survive, I made no sound, made no struggle. Stoically, I pulled my hand back, fingers poised to deal a killing blow.

"Kaoru!"

The familiarity of the voice penetrated my ears, and it processed itself in a torrent of thought.

I gasped, the rush of rabid self-preservation seeping out of my body, almost weakening me.

"Are you alright?" Kenshin asked, clutching me by my shoulders. "I heard something-"

I was about to reply, to tell him that there were strangers in my room when a loud crash startled me into a yelp.

Kyosuke came flying out of his room, tearing through the paper and wood shoji. The impact of his body ripped the door from its sliding hinges.

He crashed to the ground, groaning and curling into an agonized ball as he coughed, rasping for breath.

"Kyosuke!" I cried, stepping in his direction, but Kenshin held me back wordlessly.

Clutching the hilt of his sword, he moved forward himself.

Kyosuke's assailant came lumbering through the debris. We couldn't see his face, because like the other two I had to deal with in my room, he was covered all over as well. He was broad of breadth, but even through the clothing, we could tell that he was all muscle.

He cursed. "God dammit, you little fuck!" He cried at Kyosuke. He was about ready to pick Kyosuke to his feet when he froze upon seeing Kenshin's approaching figure.

"Damn! He's awake!" Someone said.

It was one of my two aggressors, and they had just emerged from my room.

Kenshin's eyes glowed upon realizing that two men had attacked me. Though they could not hope to be as large as their cohort even with their combined size, they're still bigger than I am, individually. One thing's for sure. It made Kenshin angry.

At this moment, Battousai was no welcome site, at least to them.

With his red hair cascading down his shoulders and his sleeping robe somewhat tousled from bed, I personally thought he was down right yummy. Add that to his intense amber gaze, I found myself staring at him slack jawed and positively hypnotized.

With Battousai gazing at all three men from where he stood, none of them moved. None of them dared. The silent reprieve, though filled was tension, coaxed the rurouni back little by little. Kenshin was indeed, the master of control.

The large man whistled. Figures, all dressed in black, rose out from all around us. The roof, the perimeter walls, the foliage...they were everywhere.

This is not good. In a situation like this, Kenshin would be able to defend himself, even with the overwhelming number of opponents, but I always felt that Kenshin worked better without having to worry about the rest of us.

I'm just going to have to find a way to help him without getting in his way.

Kyosuke moaned. "W-What do you mean-?"

Thus feeling confident that Battousai wasn't going to attack, the large man grabbed a fist full of Kyosuke's robe and pulled him up. "Boss said your debts ain't worth the aggravation, so he'd rather have you killed instead, and then collect from the one who paid him to do it."

Kyosuke whimpered. "I-I'll pay you guys f-for the journals, I swear..."

What the hell is this all about?

"Orders are orders, Kyosuke," said the main, feigning regret.

To my horror, he pulled out a short sword. Remnants of a dream crowded into my head and I came out with a loud cry. "No!"

The man swung and I thought Kyosuke was finished, but there was a flash, and time stood still.

Kyosuke had a shocked expression on his face as he stared at two crisscrossing blades inches from his person. One aimed at his neck and the other poised to preserve it.

Kenshin stood behind him, his sword matching the stranger's steel.

My instinct to apply my weaponless technique was beginning to take root, and I looked desperately around me for anything I can use like a bokken, just so I can keep the instinct from resurfacing.

A loud shout from Kyosuke's attacker set everyone upon us, and chaos reigned. Kenshin flew into action, sending the large man crashing back into Kyosuke's room.

"Busu!" Came Yahiko's sudden cry from the porch. I did not know when exactly he had emerged from his room, but the site of him with a bokken was welcome. He tossed it into the air and my eye was quick to follow it.

Jumping to avoid the onslaught of our enemies, I caught the bokken in my hand and rolled to a crouch, immediately going into stance. Yahiko rushed to my side and then positioned himself behind me to guard my back.

They attacked, and including the first two men who tried to get me in my room, there were twenty five in all, ten of which had surrounded me and Yahiko.

The other ten dared to take on Kenshin, and I saw him slash his way through his opponents with lightning fast quickness. Five others kept their distance, waiting for an opportunity to contribute to the onslaught.

Kyosuke struggled to his feet, and even through the pandemonium I could see that his survival instincts have already consumed him. He had no Kamiya Kasshin Ryu to fall back on. All he had was the Shikeigai technique, and that could mean he was very deadly.

Hacking my way through, I told Yahiko to follow me. I noticed that Kenshin was not leaving Kyosuke's side, defending them both with his sword. He knew what Kyosuke could do in his state, and he would not permit anything like that to happen.

My only consolation was that Kyosuke would not act unless he was really threatened, the Cat's Paw technique ensured that, and at this moment, with Kenshin acting as an effective shield, Kyosuke merely bided his time.

We reached Kenshin and Kyosuke's side, and by that time, most of our opponents had been incapacitated, one way or another. Some were already crawling away in retreat, finding aid amongst each other. The five other men who had hung back still hovered, one or two of them jumping down to recover their injured brethren one at a time.

"Kyosuke," Kenshin said through grit teeth. "Your debts have endangered my family."

"You heard him, Himura," Kyosuke replied, looking uncharacteristically serious. "He didn't come here to collect from me."

I nodded to confirm his words. "They were here for me too."

Kenshin said nothing in response.

A loud groan ensued from Kyosuke's room, and a quick glance told me that Kyosuke's attacker was just now recovering from Kenshin's blow.

The attacks have stopped, but our assailants have not left the premises. They were perhaps waiting for their leader to tell them what to do.

The leader emerged, shaking his head, perhaps to clear his vision.

When he saw the state of things, his cowering comrades and the Kenshin's steady gaze with a sword, he whistled again as he jumped into the air. Almost as quickly, the rest of them made a hasty exit.

Indignant that they were just going to get away with what they did, I grabbed a portion of Kyosuke's totaled door and flung it at the back of a fleeing figure.

My perfect aim made the projectile connect with his shoulder and he dropped to the ground in mid flight, just before he was able to scale my wall.

"Good shot, busu!" Yahiko cried excitedly as we rushed to get to him.

Kenshin reached him first, and grabbing fists full of the man's clothing, Kenshin flipped him over to face us. The usually gentle rurouni slammed him carelessly to the ground and ripped off the cloth covering his face. The man moaned, befuddled, but for once, Kenshin did not care.

Holy crap. Kenshin must really be angry to be so rough.

The man looked like he was in his mid-twenties, but his face had long lost its boyish glow. With his skin browned and his lip crooked unnaturally, he looked like he had not been in gentle company.

"Yeesh," Kyosuke muttered. "He ain't pretty."

"Who sent you?" Kenshin demanded from him.

With his eyes a bit unfocused, the man randomly scanned our faces, slowly realizing that he had been caught, and that he had no hope of escaping us.

"Hey! Battousai asked you a question!" Kyosuke yelled.

The mention of Battousai made the man tremble and he stammered a reply. "G-Gen-ichi..."

Yahiko crammed his head under my arm. "Who's that?"

"Did you come here to collect Kyosuke's debt?" Kenshin asked.

The man stayed silent.

"Perhaps Battousai has not made himself clear..." Kyosuke said with a raised eyebrow.

Our captive gave a start. "I-I was just following orders...I wasn't suppose to participate in the killing..."

Yahiko's mouth dropped open. "You were going to kill someone?"

"N-No! I mean...not me. I wasn't going to kill anyone!" The man cried hastily. "We were just...we were just back up...those three who went ahead of us...they were the ones in charge of that."

Kenshin glared at him. "What did you hope to accomplish tonight?"

"They were..." Began the guy, insisting on shifting the conspiracy from him. "They were suppose to get rid of Tenshio Kyosuke and Kamiya Kaoru..."

My stomach twisted. So they were trying to kill me, and Kyosuke too.

Kyosuke eyebrows knotted. "Because I couldn't come up with the payments?" He asked, incredulous.

The man shook his head. "No. Gen-ichi-sama decided to forego your debts. Said the payoff for killing you made up for it..."

"Who's paying him off?" I asked, grabbing him by his collar. "Who ordered Gen-ichi to kill us?"

"I don't know!" He cried in a panic. "Gen-ichi-sama just gets these letters...one at a time. He gets paid half to set it up and then the other half when the deed's been done. He gets the money at drop-off points."

"Kenshin..." I began worriedly. "What are we going to do with this guy? If we turn him over to the cops and Saitoh..."

"Let him deal with Saitoh," Kenshin said with unusual ruthlessness. "Besides, I do not think Saitoh will try do anything to him in the police station."

The man whimpered.

Kenshin suddenly froze and his eyes swerved to the direction of the roof.

We all looked and saw something move, a figure clothed in black with a hood pulled over his face. Something zipped past us and our captive gave a start of surprise, then he went limp.

I stared in horror at the tiny dart that had pierced the man's shoulder. "Oh god! Is he dead?" I demanded.

"See to him," Kenshin said, taking off to follow the figure that had swiftly fled as soon as he had issued the dart.

"I think he's alive, busu," Yahiko said, placing his cheek near the man's parted lips. "But I don't know if he'll stay that way."

I hate to say it, but I almost don't care. Kenshin had been so quick to disappear...I didn't even have time to protest his intentions to track the figure down. He's alone out there, and even if I know he can take care of himself, I can't help but worry about him.

Resisting the urge to follow mainly because I had no idea where they had ran off to, I crouched down to check the unconscious man. He was breathing, and the pattern of it was steady enough. He in fact, looked very much relaxed, like he was in a deep slumber.

Kyosuke sighed, flopping down on the grass and shaking his head. "I can't believe...that my life is so cheap..." he said in a daze. "I'm not even worth more than a couple o' hundred Sen..."

I chuckled softly. "Is that how much you owe him?"

Kyosuke nodded.

"Tough break," Yahiko said, sitting on the grass beside him.

Something clicked in my brain and I looked up ponderously. "Kyosuke...you said something about journals..."

This hustled him back to his senses. "Oh that...well, I've been meaning to tell you about those. It...might be our shot at evidence..."

I blinked. "Evidence? For Saitoh?"

He nodded wordlessly. "It's...actually the reason I went to you for help in the first place..."

I was still a little shaken, and I could honestly say that my mind wasn't functioning properly, what with the fuss and the lateness of the hour. I wasn't quite getting what he was trying to say, but the words "being used" began to process itself in my head.

Getting to my feet, I picked up my bokken. "I'm going to Megumi. We'll be needing a doctor for this guy. You two stay here and watch over him. If he wakes up, don't let him get away. We'll call the cops later. If Kenshin returns before I do, tell him where I've gone and that he shouldn't worry or follow or do anything like that."

Yahiko scoffed. "Try telling him that," he said.

"Whatever," I responded. "Just make sure he stays calm."

Kyosuke gave a halfhearted salute. "We'll do our best."

I ran my hands trough my tousled hair. I'm not even dressed to go walking in the streets.

Going to my room, I grabbed a shawl that would give me some measure of decency and then I went on my way to fetch Megumi.

**THE HITOKIRI**

That ki. I've felt it before. Familiar, yet vaguely so that it was hard to place. Almost like...its existence was improbable.

I could not see him. I lost sight of him since he fled the dojo, but I followed, though the trail may be a useless one.

An unusual sound here and there, a strange fluttering of the leaves...those are the only clues I had of his whereabouts. There wasn't even a residual trace of ki, but if I can find him, it might lead us to certainties.

They tried to kill my Kaoru tonight.

Now that I thought about it, I wish I had hit those bastards just a bit harder, broke more bones, made sure that they were all left unconscious for the cops to haul them off to prison where Saitoh could have his way with them all...

I don't care what happens to them, so long as they're punished for that fool attempt of theirs.

What if Kaoru had not been schooled to defend herself? What if they had thought of doing other things to her before they killed her? Like kidnap her and...

That would have been unforgivable. I would have killed them all.

I blinked and tried to shake off Battousai. I was getting distracted, and I must focus on the chase.

Half an hour passed, and still I could not find him. My surroundings have gone silent. There was no longer anything to follow.

I sighed.

I must get back to the dojo. It just occurred to me that I had left them there all alone. What if those thugs came back with more of their kind with them? The number would overwhelm them and the consequences of my not being there could be disastrous.

Rushing on silent feet, I did not stop until I got to the dojo gate. It was unlocked. I wonder why.

When I left the dojo, I did not use the door. Why is the gate open?

I walked into the front yard and saw Yahiko looking over Megumi's shoulder as she attended to the stranger we had caught.

"Where are Kyosuke and Kaoru?" I asked them. "And Megumi-dono, I do not mean to be rude, but how did you know to come here?"

"Tanuki-chan came to my house and called me over, said someone was hurt," she replied calmly as she checked the man's pulse. I saw the dart laid out in her medicine box, somewhat wrapped in paper.

It would be like Kaoru to go fetch Megumi alone, unmindful of the possibility that the enemy might still be lurking nearby, but then she got back fine, as evidenced by Megumi's presence. No use fussing about that now. "And where is she now? Is Kyosuke with her?"

"Kyosuke accompanied her to the police station," Yahiko replied.

"Oro! Saitoh could be there!" I cried, forgetting about Megumi knowing nothing about it.

Megumi arched an eyebrow. "Yes, Ken-san. That's the point. Cops, Saitoh-san. It's a common occurrence nowadays."

"I have to follow them," I said resolutely, preparing to go on another chase.

"Busu told me to tell you not to worry," Yahiko piped. "Said that with the cops around, Saitoh wouldn't try anything. Besides, it's one o'clock in the morning. Even wolves sleep."

It was not a very convincing point.

"Calm down Ken-san," Megumi said. "I have long since decided not to muddle over what you have against Saitoh, but he isn't going to hurt Tanuki-chan. She isn't worth his supreme goal to cleanse the world of sin."

Wrong choice of words, Megumi. Kaoru and Kyosuke are exactly what Saitoh wants to rid the world of.

"I am going," I said, rushing off before any of them could say anything more.

I spotted Kaoru and Kyosuke ahead of me on the road to the station. It didn't take very long. They did not choose an alternative route.

As I approached them, I could see that they were, yet again, arguing about something. This time though, the discussion seemed serious, and heated. Kaoru was shaking with anger and Kyosuke was earnestly trying to appease her. I wonder what he had done this time.

He reached out to take her by the wrist, his face begging for forgiveness, and she shook him off violently, as if he disgusted her to no end.

I caught up with them shortly, hearing Kaoru's scornful, "Worthless piece of horse you-know-what!" and Kyosuke's response of, "Hey! We're all going to benefit from it anyway!"

"What is going on?" I asked, coming up from behind them.

Kaoru didn't seem the least bit surprised that I was there, and she quickly grabbed my arm, hustling both of us to walk ahead and leave Kyosuke behind.

I heard Kyosuke sigh in resignation.

There would be time enough for explanations later. Right now, it was best to calm her down.

"Are you alright, Kaoru?" I asked, placing my own hand on the one she had on my arm. "Never better," she muttered, not slowing her pace.

"Maa...settle down, love. This unworthy one would just like to make sure those bad guys in the dojo didn't hurt you."

The endearment set her to blush and my words got its desired effect. She took a more placid pace and looked over her shoulder at Kyosuke, dealing him a scornful glance, as if to tell him to back off for the meantime.

"I'm fine, Kenshin," she replied. "Not even a scratch. So I take it you didn't catch our ninja intruder?"

I shook my head.

"It's just as well. I was worried you'd get hurt if you found him," she said rather pertly, blushing even deeper. "Not that I don't believe you could defend yourself. It's just...you know. I worry, that's all."

It amused me that she was embarrassed to admit being concerned about me. "I'm sorry I worried you."

She waved off my apology wordlessly.

"So," Kyosuke suddenly said, his face peeping from her other shoulder. "Are you still angry at me, Kao-chan?"

"Argh! Rot in hell, Kyosuke!" She hissed, dragging both of us away from him.

Kyosuke followed us like a monkey in pursuit. "I was gonna tell you!"

"Ooh! Stay away from me," she warned.

"Oro! What has he done?" I asked, curiosity suddenly suffusing me.

Kaoru imparted Kyosuke a disdainful look. "Do you want to tell him or should I?"

Kyosuke swallowed nervously. "Can I get a head start?"

"No, you can't have a head start," she growled, taking a fist full of his collar and pulling Kyosuke to face me. He whimpered, and he feebly tried to get free of Kaoru's gasp, but Kaoru's presence if not her physical strength was enough to get him to stay still and, to quote Kaoru who had so pointedly told him at that moment, "Take it like a man."

"Do you see this jerk, Kenshin?" She began in an infuriated tone. "A month back, you know, after the news of Yasushige's death? This jerk hired the Aizu mobster Gen-ichi to break into Saitoh's home and steal Saitoh's Bakumatsu journals. And you know how Gen-ichi's gang works: Half down and half when the task is completed. Well, they got the journals, lock stock and barrel, but the problem with this bug right here is that he didn't have enough money to pay them the rest. Haha! What a moron Kyosuke can be, ne? Are you following this so far, Kenshin?"

I blinked several times before saying, "O-Oro! There's more?"

She smiled acidly at Kyosuke, exaggerating her felicity over the whole affair. "Why, of course there's more! These mobsters...they're professionals! They have to be paid for doing something, and they were willing to bust his knee caps just to get him to produce the money, so what does this fool do? He comes to us. Hoping...one, to be protected, and two, to get those journals from the gang. Now as we've found out, the gang has so magnanimously foregone Kyosuke's debts to them, preferring instead to kill him, because the price of his head, if unattached to his body, is more than the price of his pathetic, sexually frustrated, degenerate, manipulative, good for nothin'..."

"Alright already! He gets it!" Kyosuke cried in protest.

"...cheap-ass life," she finished mercilessly. "Two hundred Sen, Kyosuke. I'm beginning to understand why the mob would rather have you dead."

"Th-That's cold," Kyosuke stammered.

Kaoru bared her teeth in a grimace. "I'm withering in remorse," she said flatly.

I could certainly see it from Kaoru's viewpoint. We were, after all, standing in the same boat. Kyosuke had used us, twice. But then, I am less angry than Kaoru is, simply because I had not put much stock in Kyosuke's honor in the first place, unlike Kaoru who perhaps constantly hopes that he would change his errant ways, bless her optimistic heart. So when it comes down to it, I had expected something like this from him.

"Kyosuke-san," I began grimly. "Right now, you disgust me."

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah..."

"Did you have anything to do with the police station break-in?" I asked him.

The question astonished him. "What? No! D'you think I'm stupid?"

It was answered by a meaningful silence.

"Alright, wrong question," Kyosuke admitted. "I didn't have anything to do with that. J-Just Saitoh's home..."

Kaoru let his collar go roughly. "Tell him about the journals, Kyosuke," she ordered him.

Kyosuke straightened himself and ran his hands through his hair. "Those journals...when I was stationed with his platoon back in the Boshin Wars, I saw him writing stuff down in a notebook. I went through it one time and I found out that it contained details of his daily encounters. Orders issued by his superiors...about the men in his squad...and when he killed certain people, he'd write about how he did it and he delved into why. Sort of like the ruling of a judge. By the end of the war, he had a few volumes of it..."

"And how did you think it will benefit this case?" I asked him.

Kyosuke sighed again and shrugged wearily. "I don't know...it was the only thing I could think of. I didn't even know for sure back then that Saitoh was doing all this killing, that's why I didn't tell you about it in the beginning. But then...things have changed now. It might help, it might not. Now that it's caught up on me, I'm beginning to see how stupid it all is. I mean, I can't even be certain that it would be relevant these days. It was a war back then. If men could be thrown in jail for the abuses they did during the war, half the men of Japan would be rotting in incarceration. Heck, you'd be in jail, Himura. Same thing with Kaoru and me."

"Not all of us keep journals, Kyosuke-san," I remarked ponderously. The word "probe" began to process itself in my brain. The government is out to get Saitoh, and maybe, just maybe, that journal is enough to give the DIA a reason to get rid of him and go so far as to imprison him for past deeds. Surely with what the government intends to do, they could not ignore written evidence of his so-called un-fitness. It doesn't matter if he's put away for reasons other than the Shikeigai killings. What's important is that he's put away, period.

"Do you think Gen-ichi still has these journals?" I asked.

"Maybe...heck, I don't know," replied Kyosuke. "I don't know anything anymore. Would be like him to keep it, though. He likes dirt of that kind. Rumor in Aizu has it that the reason why the cops couldn't get their hands on him is because he's got something on everyone, and that arresting him would risk exposure."

I nodded, coming to a decision that very moment. "That will pose little problem. Tomorrow, we head to Aizu Wakamatsu by train."

Kaoru raised her eyebrow at me but she said nothing. I know she is wondering where I would get the money to pay for all of it. For the train and accommodations, because I doubt if Kyosuke would be ready to let us live with him. Kaoru always had that look on her face when I take it upon myself to spend my own Sen, mainly because she wondered where I got it, but to her great credit, she never asked.

"Er...I'm a little low in cash..." Kyosuke said.

I figured as much. Saitoh's right, Kaoru is running a charity house, and I'm helping her. "I will pay for your trip Kyosuke, and back again if it is necessary that you come back with us from Aizu."

"We ought to make him walk," Kaoru muttered, still brooding over Kyosuke's deceptiveness.

I smiled at her. "Maa...Katsura-sama was generous enough to remember me on his deathbed, Kaoru," I explained. "I'm just following your kind example in sharing." For indeed, she gives when she barely has enough for herself.

Kaoru deferred from giving a dissenting opinion.

We soon found ourselves in front of the police station where the lights of the midnight shift shone through the windows. Minutes later, we were heading back to the dojo with officers who would make the arrest.

Last night, the unconscious body of one the police had dubbed as Warumono for lack of an actual name was brought to the temporary detainment facility until he regains consciousness. He would be attended to by a government physician while in his semi-coma state.

Megumi said that the man was in no danger of dying unless they starved him to death, which was unlikely with the doctor looking after him. She had examined the poison dart, concluding that the poison itself only induced deep sleep and would be flushed out of his system in a few days, unless the effect of the poison develops into a degenerative type. For that reason alone, she would do some research on the poison, hoping she would find an antidote before he showed signs of failing health.

I did not share with the police what the Warumono told us the night of his capture. I had no intention of forewarning Saitoh of our plans. Instead, I told the edited truth, about a group of men coming to the dojo and trying to kill Kaoru and Kyosuke. We had caught the Warumono but somebody later on administered a dart on him that resulted in his unconsciousness. I tried to catch the perpetrator of that act, but I failed in my pursuits.

Today we leave for Aizu. The trip will take at least 12 hours by train. Before leaving, I paid Kawaji another visit for a most important matter. It was seven in the morning, but I have known Kawaji to be in his office even earlier than that.

The moment I walked into his room, Kawaji already knew that his powers would be called forth. Maybe it was the grave look on my face, or perhaps because he had heard about the scuffle in the dojo the previous night. The point is he was ready, so long as he would be acting under duress.

I told him of our mission, about having to go to Aizu to gather evidence against the Shikeigai killer. However, as a civilian, there was not much I could do in terms of arresting certain people who might be implicated in the conspiracy. Therefore, I requested that he wire the Aizu Police Department. The wire would contain express orders that should a red-haired and scar-faced man claiming to be Himura Kenshin show-up in the station bearing evidence concerning the murder and attempted murder of certain individuals (of whom I will eventually reveal), appropriate action must be undertaken. I am, in essence demanding that the Aizu police department trust my claims. The resulting events must immediately be reported to the Chief of Police in Edo.

Kawaji listened to my words with stoic silence. He would not refuse me, this I know. The government owes me far too much to deny me a request that would not compromise his integrity or the interest of justice. Kawaji trusts me enough to act in accordance with such principles. This would be an easy request to grant, just as long as I do not bungle anything unnecessarily.

He said he would have the telegraph sent. In addition to that, he issued me a document that would give me credibility when I made my appearance in the police station.

After that, I was set to go. It would only be a matter of time.

Kyosuke said that our trip to Aizu was rather auspicious.

"We would be in time for the Aki Matsuri," he informed us. "Everyone will be celebrating, which means that everyone would be lax, including criminals. In fact, Gen-ichi's known for taking part in the revelry with wild abandon. Wouldn't be a bad idea to mix business with pleasure either, ne?" He said with a wink.

I hardly thought it the appropriate time to be distracting ourselves with the autumn festival, but we would do well to take advantage of Aizu citizens' attitude towards the upcoming celebrations, especially in Gen-ichi's case.

While Kaoru left express instructions to Yahiko and later to Tae to take care of the boy, I conferred with Sano. He would be in charge of keeping an eye on Yahiko as well, and he would be responsible for checking with the Oniwabanshu branch here in Edo to see if our Kyoto connection had come up with anything concerning the case.

With everything in proper order, we left for Aizu.

On the train, I earnestly prayed that this would be the last stretch of our investigation.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**THE HITOKIRI**

I noted with dry amusement that Kaoru and Kyosuke had fallen back into their old chumminess, meaning they had gone back to arguing about the silliest things. When we first got on the train, which was roughly five hours ago, Kaoru had still refused to address Kyosuke's presence, remnants from her anger with his deceptions.

Kaoru gave new meaning to "frost bite" when she put her mind to it. I have certainly felt the full force of it when she unexplainably snubbed me for something that had to do with what I can only attribute to insensitivity on my part with regards to Matsuhime's visit.

I honestly could not tell what she was so angry about. I think it was because I kept insisting that she must have misheard Matsuhime on her relations with Katsura-sama. It was an entirely odd affair. It still confuses me.

And now, five hours after being in the same carriage as Kyosuke in the train, she apparently forgave him and started talking to him, which of course resulted in another one of their loud debates. They eventually got tired fighting so much, and after another hour and a half of dynamic discussion, the carriage was quiet.

Kaoru stared out of the window, watching the late afternoon view, bored into silence.

Kyosuke's subdued stare gradually became a slumped snooze on his seat.

He had been dozing for several minutes before he started to snore quietly. This prompted Kaoru to pull her gaze from the view. She scooted to my side and leaned her head on my shoulder.

Giving her a tender smile, I put my arm around her and she snuggled against me, making herself comfortable in my embrace.

This was pleasant, and I nuzzled my nose in her hair, expressing my appreciation for the closeness. How I love this woman. So much so that she has me haring across Japan, back and forth, just to make sure that she will live to see the future she had sacrificed so much for.

"Kenshin," she whispered so that she would not wake Kyosuke.

I responded in the same volume, caring more for the privacy Kyosuke's slumber afforded us than staying quiet in consideration for his nap.

"I've been meaning to ask you," she continued. "Did you have something with Matsuhime-san before?"

What a surprising question. "Oro! Something, Kaoru?"

"You know," she said softly. "Like a very special relationship."

More surprising still, but I chuckled. "Like the kind of relationship this unworthy one would like to have with you?"

Her cheeks flushed an adorable pink. "Oh, you know what I mean."

"Well, why do you want to know?" I asked, honestly curious.

"Oh nothing," she replied, staring up at me with a small grin. "It's just...well, I'm trying to figure out if you have a taste for women who are pristine and perfect. Tomoe-san was like her, ne?"

"Oro!" I said quietly with a contained laugh. "Tomoe had more cares in the world than Matsuhime-dono ever will. It bears mentioning however, that even if Tomoe and Matsuhime-dono did have the same type of breeding, they were about as much alike as Matsuhime-dono and you. And let it be said that the common thread is not between Tomoe and Matsuhime-dono, but between you and Tomoe."

"Kenshin, quit teasing!" She admonished me in a hushed tone.

"I'm not," I told her, pinching her chin gently. "Though I will never compare you and Tomoe, you do have a common trait. You're both strong, here," I said, placing a hand on her heart.

She turned even redder.

After a moment, she began to look annoyed. "Kenshin, you're evading my question!"

"Maa...I am not," I said. "No, I did not have that kind of relationship with Matsuhime-dono. She is a very good friend, a person I could talk to when I was stationed with Katsura-sama, but nothing more than that."

"Oh well, then now I feel really silly," she said to my absolute astonishment.

"Oro! Was it something I said?" I asked. I hardly know with Kaoru these days.

She chuckled. "Yes, it was something you said. I was kind of...well, frankly I was jealous."

Orororo... "Jealous...?"

"Yes. She's beautiful and elegant, while I'm cute and hoydenish."

I'm still quite flustered by her confession, but I laughed nevertheless. "Cute?"

She frowned. "Hey I'm cute at least. I'm not ugly or anything."

It occurred to me that she misunderstood the meaning of what I had been trying to imply, and finally absorbing what she had said about jealousy and such matters as my relationship with Matsuhime, I cupped her jaw in my palm and quite brazenly rubbed my nose against hers. I was quite elated when she didn't pull back.

"Kaoru, cute is the least of your attributes," I said softly.

"Oh is that so?" she responded with a mischievous smile.

"Of course," I replied, wanting to brush my lips against hers, to which she tilted her face up, as if to welcome it. "I always thought you rather breathtaking, especially when you're fighting off goons and training in the dojo."

She laughed softly. "Yes, my bokken completes the look."

I chuckled, her lips so temptingly close. "What do you think won me over that first day we met?"

"Mou...that's the best mistake I've made to this date," she whispered.

"Better..." I began teasingly. "Than that mistake in the dojo yesterday?"

She smiled at me, caressing my cheek with her delicate finger. "That wasn't a mistake. That was me, telling you without words how I felt because I couldn't exactly say it."

My heart beat decidedly faster. With her, this closeness...this intimacy could mean anything. Kaoru was far too complicated for me to assume anything anymore.

"You have to understand..." she continued, almost in an embarrassed tone. "It's hard to let go when I've been so guarded about my feelings since I joined the Shikeigai. It was too dangerous then, and when the war was over, it just took too much effort to change things. It was...comfortable, though it was lonely."

I rubbed my thumb against the satin smoothness of her cheek and listened in rapt attention.

"You sort of...got through those barriers and it was so unfamiliar that it was frightening. Am I making any sense?"

"Absolutely," was my entranced reply.

"And then it occurred to me that I didn't have to be afraid," she said. "Not when it's you."

Her words sent me into a spiral, and all I wanted to do was claim her lips. She just had to tell me...so I can be sure. Was she accepting me? Did this mean...?

She whispered my name in a way that toppled my reservations in one fell swoop. It was too much for me to hold back.

I let my lips brush hers tentatively, and she responded, encouraging me to venture for a kiss that would linger. Our lips touched again, and this time neither of us pulled back. The gentle deepening intoxicated me further, the catch of her breath intensifying the sensations. We could go on and on.

Unfortunately, Fate thought it enough for the moment, because Kyosuke gave a most annoying snort as he roused himself from sleep.

Kaoru broke away and sighed. I was so taken that I would have coaxed her to ignore Kyosuke, but she leaned back on her seat and merely exchanged apologetic glances with me.

"Wow, nodded off for a second there," Kyosuke said, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Kaoru, be a doll and get us some wake-up tea."

Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands through my hair and resigned myself to the inevitable. Could Kyosuke be more irritating?

"Get it yourself," Kaoru muttered, moving back to the window.

Kyosuke looked between Kaoru and me suspiciously. "Hey...did you guys fight or something while I was asleep?"

Neither of us replied.

"Ookay. Sorry I asked," Kyosuke said. "But take it from me, you two lovebirds ought to patch things up. It ain't right to be fighting when we're on such an important mission. Come on now...kiss and make up."

My lip twitched. He has got to be kidding.

"Kyosuke, shut the freak up," Kaoru said to him.

Thankfully, he did.

We arrived in Aizu at around eight in the evening, and after getting our bags from the luggage platform, Kyosuke showed us out of the station and right through town.

True to Kyosuke's narration, the entire town was abuzz with preparation for the upcoming festival. Colorful paper lanterns, most of them red, were hung up in trees and posts, some strung on ropes, set aside and ready to be strewn, not yet lit but nevertheless brightening the streets with their brilliant hues.

Akabeko, red paper maché cows with heads that bobbed on interior springs, peered and nodded from every corner and house. Though a lot of burnt structures were still prevalent in the area, reminiscent of the Aizu Wakamatsu great fire during the Boshin Civil War, their dreary facades were properly outdone by the festive atmosphere.

E Rosoku lined the front of homes and erected food stands, the painted flowers on their waxen bodies just waiting to be illuminated at nightfall.

Some people were already walking around the streets with face paint and costumes, some held masks in their hands, and there seemed to be some kind of assembly, the participants carrying instruments as they discussed amongst themselves with jolly laughter.

We made our way through the throng, Kyosuke's face concealed in a mask he had bought from a peddler on our way out of the station. He wore the face of an angry old-school samurai, complete with a high hairline and streaks of paint to make the image more terrifying.

More than once, I'd hear a complete stranger tell me. "Nice costume, kido! Like the battle-worn samurai look!" Which caused Kaoru to giggle every time she heard it.

I suppose...I can get myself a new pair of pants and a gi when we get back to Edo.

Kyosuke said that Kaoru and I ought to stay at the Wakamatsu no Ikken, a small house that had been converted into an inn. The only place that would fit our budget and live up to my "decency" standards, he says. He also said, "If you don't get accommodations in there, you either stay in those fancy high end hotels or bunk in the streets. Because trust me, the people you'd encounter in the streets are way more decent than those staying in the Rathole Inns, I'll tell you that."

When I asked him where he would stay, he said that he would be safe in his Bankoyaki workshop, also his makeshift home. He said nobody really expected him to be there. Besides, he added, nobody worked during Aki Matsuri, not even mobsters.

"You make pottery?" Kaoru asked him in reference to his workshop.

"Hey, I gotta eat, you know. It's my means of income," Kyosuke replied in scorn. "What'd you think? That I steal my food?"

Kaoru frowned. "I was just saying-"

"Well, excuuuuse me, shihondai. We can't all be kenjutsu instructors!" He snapped, his voice muffled by the mask.

"Mou! Sor-ree! But I wasn't dissin' your occupation!" She huffed back, stomping through the doors of the inn.

Kyosuke's magic touch has once again ruined Kaoru's perfectly affable mood.

Sighing, I turned to Kyosuke before I followed her inside. "If you don't feel safe enough in your home, feel free to come and stay with us, Kyosuke-san."

"And disturb your little love-nest? Himura, I ain't that much of a jerk. If there's anything I respect, it's somebody getting some-"

I left him at the doorstep.

As it turns out, Wakamatsu no Ikken was full almost to the brim with tourists, except for one small room with a single futon.

It was quite awkward. Kaoru and I merely stared at the receptionist without much to say about our predicament.

"I'm sure you and your wife will fit on the futon just fine. You're both not very big," said the kindly woman at the front desk.

My wife, she called Kaoru.

I expected Kaoru to deny it, but she merely reddened and waited for me to say something.

What could I say? There was no where else to go, and telling the receptionist that Kaoru isn't my wife would likely scandalize the receptionist to no end, immediately tagging Kaoru as "comfort" company. I looked over my shoulder at Kyosuke, hoping he was not hearing this. The masked man was currently occupied in watching the activity on the streets.

"W-We'll take the room," I stammered, unable to look Kaoru in the eye. "I-Is there any way we could perhaps get an extra futon...?"

"I'm sorry, but all the futons have been accounted for," replied the receptionist. She winked and added with a roguish grin, "Maybe you could put-off being so rough tonight, ey tiger?"

And that was the end of it.

Telling Kyosuke to wait for us, we were brought to our chamber, once again left to discuss our sleeping arrangements.

When the room attendant left us, I said to Kaoru, "This unworthy one can sleep on the-"

"Don't start, husband," she interrupted me, plunking her bag down on the floor and walking out.

And that was the end of that.

Kyosuke said that Kaoru and I ought to be wearing our own masks when we went out on the streets to go to Gen-ichi's house. It was better if we purchased masks similar to the ones everyone wore, so that we can disappear easily in the crowd. Kaoru and I got masks that only covered the upper portion of our faces. It was more comfortable than the full-face ones, and we could see a score of people wearing them already. Frankly, I felt that if I really wanted to disappear in a crowd, I ought to shave my head, or perhaps dye my hair.

Kyosuke would meet us back in the hotel in an hour and a half. In the meantime, we got dressed like all the other attendees of the festival.

I really didn't bring anything special, just some essentials and an extra gi. My dark blue one. Kaoru however, had managed to cram an extra kimono in her travel bag. It was not very fancy, but the elegance of the obi that went with it will make it extraordinarily nice. Seeing the ensemble, I made it my resolution to stay by her side wherever we went tonight. No point in letting the other men think that she was unescorted, ne?

An hour and a half later, bathed, dressed and masked, we waited for Kyosuke at the small front hall of our inn.

A man entered the hotel with tall feathers sticking out of his head, dressed in an exaggerated rendition of samurai paper armor and a cardboard katana at his hip. We recognized it to be Kyosuke though, because of the mask.

"Kyosuke?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah?" He mumbled.

Kaoru suddenly threw back her head and laughed so loudly that the other guests could not help but smile in her direction. "So what are you suppose to be, a chicken-headed samurai or something?" She asked amidst her guffaws.

"For your information," Kyosuke said, his expression hid behind his paper face. Only his eyes were animated. "The feathers indicate that I'm a high ranking samurai."

I could not recall there ever being distinguishing ranks among samurai. We just knew this or that guy was the boss, without need of feathery embellishments. I was sorely tempted to tell him that Samurai never got themselves up in such ridiculous finery, but then, there were more important matters to discuss.

"Kyosuke-san, are you sure you will blend in a crowd with that costume?" I asked while Kaoru laughed in the background.

"'Course I'm sure," he said, a bit of a scowl in his voice. "You think I want to draw attention to myself?"

"Could've fooled me," Kaoru quipped, leading the way out to the streets.

To his credit, Kyosuke was indeed not the only one with feathers on his head. It seemed to have become some sort of addend to what would have been a dull costume. Plumes sprang out of heads around us, but Kyosuke's crown was just a tad higher, a touch more colorful than the rest, and I heard Kaoru calling him Cock Head, which would have been hilarious, if it wouldn't offend half of Japan's matrons.

We waited for the parade to begin so that we wouldn't be so obviously moving around with a crowd waiting patiently in anticipation.

Standing still among the throng, I was constantly surprised by people asking me, "Are you part of the Byakkotai?" and "Aren't you suppose to be lined up already?"

I asked Kyosuke if I looked anything like a White Tiger Brigade parade participant. I really don't think so. I'm 30 years old, for goodness sake. How in the world could they mistake me for a teenager, as the Byakkotai were known to be?

The mock emperor and empress stepped out into the constructed balcony somewhere ahead of us. The wooden structure they stood on was decorated with paper, shaped and painted into castle bricks. Their costumes were elaborately done. The embroidery on their clothes were real, perhaps a robe borrowed from one of the few lords left in Aizu, if the actors weren't the lord and lady themselves.

The emperor waved, the crowd cheered and the parade began. Festive music waft from the group heading the parade. Drum Beaters situated on decorated carts with their man-sized drums, pulled by lavishly dressed escorts, danced and jumped to their own beat. The large group was followed by masked samurai, swinging around their bamboo swords in forms that were more dance-like than deadly. When the Geisha came round, the males in the crowd whooped and whistled, though Kaoru whispered in my ear that some of the Geisha players had "bobbing apples" on their throats. Hearing the crass comments of several lewd onlookers, her observation was well worth the laugh.

Fujinbutai followed. A group of female warriors who fought in the Boshin Civil War. For this part of the parade, the participants were obviously female, and more catcalls ensued, though less boorish in their tone. Moving in perfect form, the Fujinbutai players seemed rather learned in the craft, and none of the men watching were willing to test their abilities with the wooden weapons they held. Some of them looked like they were in their thirties and forties, making it entirely possible that the members of the group had actually been Fujinbutai. Kaoru confirmed my assumption by saying, "Wow. Are they really the members? They move awfully well."

After a long procession of other historical depictions, the Byakkotai finally came. Boys of youth who were reenacting an interpretative mass suicide, prancing in a mock plunge and slash with their respective decapitators following the beat.

Their faces were painted in red, accented by gold shaped stars, diamonds and swirls. The music that came from the head of the parade swam with the unearthly demonstration of sepukku.

I looked overhead. The lamps that had been earlier set aside were now hung above us, bright against the night, daring the moonlight to cast a more radiant glow. The moon's paleness marked a sharp contrast. Shadows had no place here, though the phantoms of the Bakumatsu danced among the living.

The merry colors of the festival borrowed time from the commemorative scarlet, fighting against the richly hued banners festooned from post to post, bridging houses by their windows, crisscrossing streets like an unplanned weave.

It was brilliant, but the mood contrasted with our own feelings of apprehension, or rather it was a morbid antithesis, that death should thus be celebrated with such revelry.

I took Kaoru by the wrist and pried her from her fascination of the Fujinbutai.

She sidled up to me and spoke over my shoulder. "I should have brought my bokken. I would have blended right in the theme."

I smiled at her. "Let us hope you really won't be wanting of it, Kaoru. Not tonight."

"Mou! Planning to protect me again, aren't you?" She said, a tad scornfully.

"Let's just say..." I began, pulling her closer. "That this unworthy one is not planning to let you out of his sight."

"I ought to fujinbutai you one," she grumbled.

I chuckled, noting a real reluctance in her tone to be completely dependent on me.

Kyosuke grabbed both Kaoru and I by our collars, poising himself to speak into our ears. "We have to stick together! Gen-ichi's house isn't too far off!" He somewhat yelled.

"Well, that goes without saying," Kaoru replied.

Kyosuke smirked. "You've never been in an Aki Matsuri, have you?"

Kaoru shook her head but was a little sidetracked by somebody bumping a bit forcefully against her.

"The crowd's already restless," Kyosuke said. "They have a tendency to show the women a good time. Pretty harmless fun in general. Just dancing and mild flirting, but we don't have time to join in it right now. However, if we do get separated..."

"That shouldn't even be considered a possibility," I instantly replied, unconsciously tightening my grip on Kaoru's wrist.

Kaoru frowned and wriggled her wrist away. "Kenshin..."

Realizing that she had figured me out, I addressed the issue. "It wouldn't do for you to be unescorted in this crowd."

"Kenshin, for the love of God, let up! We're on a mission here!" She scolded.

I refrained from mentioning that love was certainly the issue, but not God's. Instead I said, "I could not let you go traipsing around alone!"

"Traipsing!" She cried incredulously. "I will not be traipsing! If we get separated, I can take care of myself Kenshin!"

Kyosuke sighed and looked me squarely in the face. "We have no time for this! If we want to sneak into his house, we better get going. We'll figure out where to look for the journal when we get there."

"Well, let's go then!" She muttered, pushing through the throng.

I suppose the issue is resolved, according to her, at least.

Kyosuke and I followed her, me more desperately than him.

Kyosuke grunted against the press of bodies. "If you happen to see a big guy. Length and width, with a white streak of hair going up his hairline, like a Raccoon's, usually surrounded by big guys and lots of women, we can at least be sure Gen-ichi isn't at home. Though I highly doubt that he'd miss the fun here. You can ask around for him and no one will think the worse of you because he gives shots of sake to the guys that make him laugh and gifts for the girls he thinks pretty enough."

"He sounds like a jolly guy," Kaoru said to us over her shoulder. "If he weren't such a crook."

A loud shout began to ripple through the crowd and a new strain of music with drums pervaded the air. The empty street that the parade had left open was engulfed in a sea of people and almost immediately, Kaoru found herself swept in the jovial arms of a stranger who laughed and danced merrily.

Even through the noise, I heard her give a sharp yelp.

"Oh shit!" Kyosuke cursed. "I just knew it!"

"K-Kaoru!" I cried as she was whirled and spun deeper into the mass of celebrating people. Gritting my teeth, I tried to get through the twirling bodies, trying to keep my eyes pasted on her fast disappearing figure.

Kyosuke followed close behind me, swearing epithets of the worse kind. "We have to get her back!"

"Do you not think I'm trying to do just that?" I said in irritation.

"Half an hour!" Kyosuke cried as he went in another direction. "Emperor's platform! One of us better have Kaoru by then!"

It was severely unsettling for me that I could no longer see her. She had, in fact, dissipated before my very eyes.

I saw the man who had first swept her into the revelry and I glared at him. I don't think he even saw me.

**THE SPY**

Just great, Kamiya. Juuust wonderful! Now where the heck am I? And where are my supposed companions? Some escorts they turned out to be.

Well, okay. Some of it's my fault for prying myself free from Kenshin, but goodness! One of 'em should have been alert enough to grab hold of me, ne?

I'm guessing that Kenshin's in a panic right now. He's probably imagining me to be in the worse possible scenarios at this very moment, worried out of his wits.

Kenshin could be so impossible at times. It's sweet that he's looking after me and all, but sometimes he could just overdo it. An over-protective boyfriend.

Well...he is more than just my best friend now, isn't he? That little talk I initiated in the train told him a lot of things, with and without words. The amorous gestures and kisses certainly made mush of me, and I did practically tell him how I felt about him, but that stupid Kyosuke has terrible timing. He just had to wake up and ruin things.

Still, as much as I love that rurouni, he can be awfully unreasonable when it comes to my safety.

It was difficult trying to get away from the men who all insisted on taking me for a dance, but I easily discovered that bitchiness was a great deterrent. My resounding, "In your dreams, pal," and "Take a hike and save me the trouble," worked wonders on their egos, and they promptly left me, the "acidic witch", alone. If I were on vacation, I would have gladly obliged them, but I'm on a mission here, and I've got more important things to think about.

It took awhile, but I finally pushed through a clearing, and climbing a food crate, I scanned the crowd for a redhead. It was impossible, what with all those infernal multi-colored feathers and scarlet being the official color of the festivities.

"Mou!" I said to myself.

Looking a bit more, I caught sight of a man who seemed to fit Kyosuke's earlier description of Gen-ichi. He was big and burly, sitting in the middle of a circle of people. He wore fine robes and drank from expensive pottery. The white streak of hair on his head somehow added distinction. If I didn't know he was such a crook, I'd mistake him for a respectable businessman.

Some of the men sitting beside him looked about as important as he did, while the others just hung around at the back, tough and mean. The women didn't look all that beautiful, but they were a voluptuous bevy of females, giving each other knowing winks while they stroked and teased their willing victims.

Sometimes, one of his thugs would approach him with a coquettish young girl trailing behind. The girl would be presented, Gen-ichi would laugh and give the girl's butt a pinch then send her on her way with a small parcel. The girl would skitter off in delight while Gen-ichi tossed a tiny pouch to the man who brought her over. Great, a commission.

I could see some of the surrounding men being offered sake in small cups.

So, Kyosuke wasn't exaggerating.

Hmph! Men!

Gingerly, I hopped off my perch and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Hey, you!" Somebody suddenly said to me.

Damn perverts.

"I'm talking to you, girl," said a man who had suddenly clamped his hands on my shoulder.

I tried to shake his hands off but his grip was strong, and I saw that he was almost as big as the guys guarding Gen-ichi's back. "Buzz off, creep." I hissed.

"I think Gen-ichi would be delighted to give you a present," he grinned, ignoring my rude retort.

I stared at him and then at Gen-ichi through the milling figures. It occurred to me that Gen-ichi had such thugs walking around the crowd, looking for young girls who would amuse their master and get them some coin. I shook my head. "I don't think so. Go keep your stupid gift."

"Oh, I think so. Gen-ichi has a taste for firecrackers," he said.

I gasped as he pulled off my mask. "Very nice," he said, immediately dragging me roughly by the wrist.

Terrific. With all this chaos, I couldn't make a scene even if I wanted to. Believe me, I tried, but no one ventured to take my struggles seriously.

Pulled in the middle of the open circle, I felt strangely vulnerable. When my "agent" shoved me forward, I felt like a buffet, and I fidgeted uncomfortably under the gaze of the men.

I glared at Gen-ichi, but said nothing.

"You've outdone yourself, Fumio," Gen-ichi said in his baritone drawl, hitching an arm on one of his upraised knees. "You always had better taste than the rest."

Everyone chuckled, drawing their gazes on me with slow, covetous stares.

I feel like a prized cow! Please God, let him just give his gift and I'll be out of here fast.

Fumio bowed. "Thank you, Gen-ichi-sama. Do you like this one? She's rather feisty."

Aaaaaaargh! Men! Can't believe that I have to put up with this kind of treatment...like livestock! Feh!

Gen-ichi merely smiled, not saying anything, but with a sinking heart, I saw that Gen-ichi had pulled out an unusually heavy pouch, flinging the whole thing in Fumio's direction. "I adore the feisty ones. Good work, Fumio," he said.

Fumio gave a respectful nod and went back into the crowd of people.

I just hope Kenshin doesn't find me here. This is embarrassing!

"What's your name, missy?" Gen-ichi asked me, holding out his saucer for a refill of sake.

I racked my brain for a name. These things don't come easy under scrutiny. "Naoko," I replied, my female Shikeigai handle coming to me.

"Well, Naoko, come and claim your present," he said, plucking a parcel from a pile behind him and holding it out for me to take.

I'd rather spit at his feet, but then that just might make him sweeter on me. After all, he had said he liked the feisty ones.

Hastily, I grabbed the colorful box from his hand and tried to make a quick exit, but to my utter surprise, he grabbed my butt, grasping a fist full of my kimono and pulling me to him.

I yelped and fell back against him. It was a rather soft landing, considering he was flatulent, but he was strong too, so I couldn't really get away fast enough. "G-Gen-ichi-sama, I must-my father is waiting for me-"

"Hush now, my young spring chicken," he said, his breath awfully alcoholic.

Spring chicken? His Spring Chicken? "I ought to peck your brains out!" I snarled then immediately after desired to strangle myself. I shouldn't have said that!

"Ooh!" He said in delight, his round, massive face breaking into a toothy smile. "Not a chicken after all! A little kitty cat with claws and fangs!"

His declaration elicited laughter from the others.

"Wouldn't touch you to scratch you," I sputtered.

This made him roar in laughter.

Oh why can't I just keep my mouth shut?

"This one's coming with me," Gen-ichi said decidedly, getting to his feet and pulling me with him by the waist.

This is...a nightmare! He was so huge my feet didn't even touch the ground as he lifted me! Why do I get myself into these things? I should scream. I should fight him off, but there were so many people who could make this situation worse, and I couldn't jeopardize the mission. I could in fact go with him and dispose of him when the opportunity for privacy presented itself.

Maybe I ought to start crying. Yes, that's right. He likes 'em spiny, and I could act just like the opposite.

Fake tears pooling in my eyes, I pleaded to him. "P-Please Gen-ichi-sama...d-don't. I'm...I'm a virgin..."

"Good! I like 'em even better than firecrackers!"

All right, big mistake.

Oh, where is Kenshin when I need him?

**THE HITOKIRI**

Was that her? I had just seen a woman standing on...probably a platform of sorts, peering out to the crowd, but I couldn't be sure. Apart from the mask she wore which was identical to the hundreds of festival-goers, I couldn't quite see the details of her characteristics because of this stupid mask on my own face.

"Kaoru!" I tried to call at the top of my lungs. I got no response from her. I doubt if she heard me, and even if she did, it was quite possible that it wasn't her after all.

And now she had disappeared from sight again, sinking into the sea of people. It's a long-shot, but it's better than nothing.

Squeezing through the throng was near impossible, and a considerable amount of time had passed before I even got to the spot I had seen the Kaoru-lookalike. There was a crate there, most probably the platform she had stood on. Looking around me, I scratched my head and tried to figure out what to do next.

It's times like these that I hate being such a small man with a somewhat soft voice.

Where is she? I am terribly worried. Why did she force me to let go of her? I know I should trust her to take care of herself, but...

I gave it some thought then shrugged. Well, why not? I stepped up the crate and scanned the crowd. I spotted a rather open circle some distance away from where I stood. There were some distinguished looking men seated in a semi-circle, being attended to by what looked to me as Geisha. They looked like a cheerful group, but it bore little consequence to me.

"Hey Himura! Is that you?"

No. I'm just another Japanese guy with red hair.

It was Kyosuke's voice, and I frowned to myself.

I jumped down from my crate to meet the man in the feathered gear. "Have you seen Kaoru?" I asked him immediately.

He grabbed me by my shoulders and hustled me in another direction. "Hell yeah I did! She's in trouble. Gen-ichi's got her, and he ain't known to be gentle on women, if you know what I mean."

Oh God.

I ordered Kyosuke to get us to Gen-ichi's house, before something happened to Kaoru.

**THE SPY**

The bodyguards followed close behind us, and I had given up struggling against Gen-ichi's grip.

This was all oddly...making me nauseous. I've gone through this, and all my childish fears, despaired resignation, began to thicken in my chest. So real that I could almost smell it.

Thoughts I had long buried in the depths of my mind began to rush back to my brain. "It'll be over soon...", "All I have to do is close my eyes...", "It won't hurt so much if I lie still...", "Won't be so bad if he had me on my hands and knees. At least I don't have to look at him that way..."

I pushed the thoughts back down and breathed deeply to steady my emotions. No...not like that. I could get through this without him having to touch me. These days, I can fight back! I don't have to take it. I'm not a little girl anymore pretending to be a loyal member of the Shinsen-gumi!

Besides, I told Kenshin I could take care of myself, and I will!

"I'll be good now, Gen-ichi-sama," I said prettily. "You can put me down."

"Ah, my little kitty. What if you run away?"

Well, I can't now can it? We're surrounded by your lapdogs. "I won't, Gen-ichi-sama..."

"Make sure she doesn't," Gen-ichi said to his men over his shoulder.

He planted me on my feet and I followed dutifully behind him.

We got to the part of the town that wasn't so crowded and arrived in front of a home with a high perimeter gate.

There were no guards, but then I figured, nobody would be as stupid as we were to break into a mob boss' house.

We entered the gate and I saw that the house was quite huge. Gen-ichi made a lot of money from his on-doings, apparently.

Kyosuke was right. There was nobody around if the darkness of the house was any indication.

"Wait out here," Gen-ichi told his men as he ushered me inside.

I decided to try and make this worth my while. "The girls say that you have many secrets, Gen-ichi-sama."

"Young girls like you ought to keep their traps shut," he said, pushing me forward by the shoulder.

I stifled a familiar kind of whimper that bubbled up my throat. My heart was beating rapidly and I had to summon all of my willpower not to let my fears overcome me.

"Ooh, this house is nice, Gen-ichi-sama," I chimed. "Do you have an office table like those European foreigners? I always wanted my first time to be on a desk like that..." I batted my eyelashes at him. That was terribly nasty of me, but it was the only way I could think of to extract information from him, however lame it sounded.

"You rogue..." he said, grinning. "A very naughty virgin, are you?"

Ugh! I hate this! I blushed for real.

He caught me again by the waist to carry me and he lumbered through the hallway.

This is not going as well as I'd like. I would have to put a stop to this soon if I wanted to preserve some of what little virtue I have left.

He slid open a door to a room with some Japanese type shelves lining the base of a wall. In the corner of the room was a writing desk, and at the center was a futon stuffed in a varnished wooden frame. It looked like a large western bed without legs. I yelped as he tossed me on the mattress carelessly.

Gods! He really is strong! I have to get out of here!

Before I could scamper off the bed, he grabbed me by my hips and flipped me over on my hands and knees.

Shit! "U-Umm...Gen-ichi-sama, please don't be so rough..." I said, desperately thinking of a way to get out of this fix.

He pulled roughly at my obi, and I nearly lost my breath when he yanked at the wrong end and tightened the sash unbearably.

I gasped. "Tight," I whimpered.

"Dammit! This knot's too fucking complicated! Undo it immediately!" He commanded me.

"Y-Yes, Gen-ichi-sama," I said obediently. I spied an opportunity.

Turning around to face him, I undid my hair, intent on mesmerizing him into a stupor that would allow me the chance to administer a Cat's Paw technique on him.

I overestimated his patience.

I cried out as he lunged at me, toppling both of us over on the bed.

Dammit! He's too heavy!

I squirmed to get away, no longer in the frame of mind to play this out.

"Hold still!" He barked, pulling at my kimono roughly.

He took one of my wrists and held it above my head while he figured out a way to get rid of the obi that was hampering him from my nakedness.

I let him figure it out. The opportunity has just presented itself.

"Stop!" I yelled to distract him and let his bodyguards think that Gen-ichi was having the time of his life. "Please don't!"

As he loosened my kimono in front of me, I snaked my other hand to his chest. I let my fingers and wrist work their magic, making my points with accuracy.

A second later, he was slumped over me, unconscious.

I stopped for a moment to calm myself.

Having gathered back my senses, I grunted to push him off me.

His flatulence was giving me a hard time of it.

Prying my leg from beneath his bulk, I tried to get him to roll to his side with my hands and my foot. He budged a little, but I was going to have to put more muscle into my efforts.

The worst thing about being small is having a very limited amount of strength, but if I was going to at least get something accomplished for all this trouble, I should get him off me fast. The silence might already be making his bodyguards suspicious.

I heard a clutter from outside his room and I immediately began making sounds of protest and pain, hoping that the bodyguards would decide to turn back, hearing that their boss was busy. I put in a sob for more effect. If they found me with their boss knocked out of his wits, they aren't going to let me out of here without paying a fleshly toll.

The door was thrown open and my voice dwindled into silence. My eyes widened at the sight of an amber eyed Hitokiri, rage emanating from his face, his sword glinting against the darkness.

**THE HITOKIRI**

BASTARD!

Kaoru beneath him...between her LEGS!

Haven't killed a soul in more than a decade, but maybe just this once...

Taking three large strides, I clapped my hand on his back and hauled him off Kaoru with sheer fury.

"K-Kenshin!" She cried, scrambling to her feet.

Everything has suddenly gone very red, and all I looked forward to was having my sword plunged into his gut. Nobody touches Kaoru when she didn't want to be touched! I'll have his head!

"N-No!" Kaoru screamed, flinging herself at me forcefully, almost like a tackle. "I'll tear him to shreds," I growled through my teeth, struggling to get past her so I can do my work. "Just watch me."

"Kenshin, he didn't! All right? He didn't!" She shrieked frantically.

"What's going on here?" Kyosuke demanded from the door.

"I'm alright!" Kaoru told me desperately. "I knocked him out before he could do anything! See? He's out cold!"

Her words got through and it finally occurred to me that Gen-ichi was still fully dressed, and that he was indeed unconscious.

I looked at Kaoru. She was decidedly rumpled, her kimono a bit skewed, exposing a bit of her chest. "Are you sure?" I asked her doubtfully, my gaze penetrating her eyes.

"Yes!" She replied with emphasis. "Now please...calm down...please."

For a moment, I stayed still, watching her for a glimmer of anything that might mean she was lying. There was none. She's okay.

After another minute of silence, I sheathed my sword and she gave a sigh of relief. "Kenshin...Gods, you scared me. I thought you were going to kill him..."

"Battousai would have," I said softly, gently taking the edges of her kimono top and pulling it more snuggly on her.

She blushed and adjusted her clothing.

"So..." Kyosuke suddenly said. "Are we okay now?"

Kaoru nodded. I did not.

Something like this...it cannot happen again. From the looks of things, it had been close. Even if Kaoru had managed to get away from the boss, what would she have done against his bodyguards?

"Kyosuke, you've done business with him," Kaoru said. "Does he have an office?"

Kyosuke nodded and jerked his head to the side. "Yeah. Follow me."

Kaoru motioned to follow him but I reached out to caress her tousled hair. She stopped and gave me an embarrassed smile. "I'm okay, Kenshin. He was just a little rough, that's all."

I shook my head in disapproval, not smiling back. "I will not let this happen again," I told her resolutely.

"It won't happen again," she replied. "I just got dragged into this situation..."

"I will not let this happen again," I repeated, walking ahead of her.

Kyosuke led us through complicated hallways and we went deeper into the mansion. There were rooms left and right, but no one occupied them at this time.

Kaoru asked us what we had done with the bodyguards. I could barely remember. All I know is, I slashed through them with my sakabatou and followed the sound of her screams. She was all that mattered.

"Himura paralyzed them," Kyosuke said as he brought us before a western type door, sharply in contrast with the Japanese style home. "Should we break it down?" He asked, nodding towards the door.

"And risk injuring yourselves?" Kaoru said, stepping forward. "Men are so violent, I tell you..."

She fished two pins from her disheveled hair and knelt to the doorknob. With the lock at eye-level, she examined the keyhole and then bent one pin into a small hook while she straightened the other.

Sliding both pins into the hole, she began tinkering with the lock delicately. A few seconds later, there was a click and she straightened to full height. Pushing down the knob, the door swung open.

"Honestly Kyosuke," she said disdainfully as we walked into the room. "It's like you didn't learn anything from the Shikeigai."

"Oh shut up," he said, annoyed by her condescending tone.

Opening Chinese cabinets and pulling out drawers, we sifted through the books and papers stacked in compartments.

"How many journals are we looking for, Kyosuke?" I asked, flipping a logbook open.

"Four or five," Kyosuke replied. "Shouldn't be too hard to find, if it's here."

Almost an hour later, we could not find the journals.

"They're not here," Kyosuke concluded in frustration.

"Wait," Kaoru said, getting to her feet. "I have an idea."

She rushed off again before I could protest.

"Cool it, Himura. No one's out there to hurt her," Kyosuke said, crouching over a drawer and looking idly through some papers, tossing them on the floor sheet by sheet, sometimes two at a time.

I folded to my knees wearily. "Can you blame me? After all that's happened?"

He shrugged. "I must admit, if it were my woman under that hunk of lard, I would have strangled him, whether or not he was unconscious." He pulled out a folder and upon opening it, a broad smile spread across his face. "Bingo! Gen-ichi's dirt portfolio! Let's see...what do we have here? Aizu's favorite sumo is gay. Ho-hum, as if half the town doesn't know about that already. Oh, and here's proof that the Widow Aiko did widow herself for the money. Big deal. Everyone knew she was on to something when she married him. Eighteen-year-olds don't marry grandfathers on a regular basis, you know. Useless...useless...Ah! Here we are! Did you know that the biggest distributor of fish in Aizu is doing his neighbor's wife? If his wife catches him, her father will disinherit him of a boatload of riches."

I looked at him in annoyance. "We are on a serious mission, Kyosuke."

"I am serious! Look-ee here, see? It sez 'My dearest Yukari, words cannot describe how wonderful our last tryst was...' and it's signed, 'Love, Hirofumi.' And it's a dirty letter too! With details about how he 'cannot forget the silken feel' of her womanly body parts. Now, that's what I'm talkin' about..." He said, with a wink and a nod.

I shook my head. "Kyosuke..." My voice trailed off as my eye caught something distinctly familiar.

Snatching a sheet from the top of the ream in Kyosuke's hand, I examined the seal at the bottom of the page. I read its contents. "...Ooka Taka...dispose of him...one thousand yen upon acceptance of the task...one thousand yen upon completion...burn this letter..."

"What the hell...?" Kyosuke whispered, reading the sheet atop his pile. "Yasushige..." He flipped through the sheets beneath it. "Kaoru's...Gack! Here's mine! Himura, these are..."

"The orders," I finished for him. "And it has Saitoh's seal."

"Is he stupid or something?" Kyosuke cried incredulously. "Why the hell would he mark orders to kill someone with his personal seal?"

I sighed in exasperation. "I don't know, Kyosuke-san. To gain Gen-ichi's trust? Who knows? I doubt if they even know this is Saitoh's seal, but it's his. I've seen it."

"Shit! What are we gonna do?" Kyosuke asked me.

"We leave it for the police to find," I told him, gathering the letters and stacking all but one on the desk. I straightened Kyosuke's mess and stuffed the irrelevant documents back into its drawer. "We're going to the station right now. Gen-ichi's unconscious and the bodyguards are pretty much incapacitated. We have time to go to the police, but they have to be the ones to find this, so that they can proceed officially on all matters." Taking the orders for the murder of Ooka Taka, I folded it and tucked it into my sleeve.

Kyosuke looked troubled. "Why the hell will they listen to us?"

"They will listen to me," I told him in a tone that said he shouldn't ask anymore questions.

He was perceptive enough to stay silent.

"I found them!" Came Kaoru's voice from the hallway. "I found the diaries!"

She appeared, flushed and laden with books with fading gray covers, an embossed golden border going down its length.

"Where?" Kyosuke asked her.

"In Gen-ichi's room. In his shelves," she replied, pleased with herself. "And you wouldn't believe how they got rid of Kiyokawa Hachirou!"

Kyosuke gave a start. "Saitoh killed Kiyokawa Hachirou?"

"No, Hijikata Toshizou did, but the details are in here," Kaoru replied.

"Take the diaries and leave the letters," I said, getting up to hustle both of them out of the office.

"What letters?" Kaoru asked.

Taking the journals from her and handing half of the load to Kyosuke, I replied to her question. "Evidence, Kaoru. Enough to indict Fujita Goro."

She said nothing, astonished by my words.

Hastily, we made our way out of the house.

The Aizu police department was quick to take me seriously once I showed them the document drawn by Kawaji to assert my credibility.

The head of the department was quite speechless when he first read the contents of the evidence I presented to him. He had thought that Ooka Taka's case would rot in its file folder, and now here was evidence that Gen-ichi had perpetrated the crime.

"Where did you get this?" He asked me in shock.

"In Gen-ichi's home office," I simply replied.

The captain raised his eyebrow. "And did Gen-ichi invite you inside?"

"No," Kaoru's voice broke through. "He invited me, and then tried to rape me. Kenshin broke into the house to save my virtue. Is that legal enough for you? Incident to my rescue, we found this letter, so this evidence was not illegally obtained. Besides, we're civilians. The law cannot dismiss the case on an illegal search and seizure that was performed by a civilian. That law only applies to the police."

She never ceases to amaze me. "You will find others like it in the office of Gen-ichi, in his home. Is it enough to get you a search warrant?"

"Y-Yes..." replied the captain, a bit dazed by Kaoru's legal references. "Do you realize who owns this seal?"

"So you recognize it then?"

The captain nodded. "He corresponds with this department..."

"Get the warrant and wire any information you gather tonight directly to Kawaji Toshiyoshi in Edo, at once," I told him. "Please...there can be no delays, Captain."

"Understood," he responded, getting to his feet immediately.

Kaoru, Kyosuke and I sat outside of the captain's office, silent in the waiting area. None of us said much. I suspect that we were all still dazed from everything that's happening.

"What about these journals, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked me.

"I'm not sure, but I know someone who might be interested in them," I replied, thinking about Nakagura Daisuke. This was a delicate matter. Even with Saitoh masterminding the murders, I wondered if I could be so heartless as to give the journals to Daisuke for Saitoh's absolute demise. He certainly deserves no mercy. He wants my Kaoru killed, but maybe I should at least leave him his honor...

It took two hours for the captain to process the necessary documents for the search, but the moment he procured his warrant, the force was set into motion.

Gen-ichi's compound was raided, the bodyguards and Gen-ichi himself still unconscious. Finding the letters, the Aizu police department made the arrests incident to the search, even if they had to haul the crooks out on stretchers. The detainment facility would be full tonight.

We just sat back and watched it all happen, posing no interference to the process.

Late into the night, while Aizu was still celebrating, the captain informed me that he had wired a report to Kawaji, and that he had recommended Fujita Goro be hauled in for questioning.

It is done.

Exhausted, we tiredly made our way to our respective quarters.

**THE SPY**

Kenshin has been aloof. From the moment I walked into the room coming from the communal bath to my efforts to engage him in light conversation as I sat brushing my hair on the futon, he would not give me more than Yeses and Nos.

It was not pleasant. In fact, it was horrible. The day had not been an easy one. 12 hours on a train, being hauled off to a strange man's room, almost getting raped, waiting in the police station, I could at least expect some sort of tender loving care from my rurouni. But now, with both of us bathed and ready for sleep, he wouldn't even come near me. He just sat by the window, staring out in the street that was still rather busy from the festivities.

After running my brush through my hair for the seven hundredth time, I've had enough and decided to come out with it. "Are you angry at me?"

He paused, not even turning to look, then he replied. "No…yes."

He is and he isn't? What the hell? "What-Why? What did I do?" I asked, quite perplexed.

There was another pause, and I can see by the angle of his face that he was bereft of expression. "Yes because you refused to be protected and no because you refused to be protected."

That has cleared nothing up as far as I'm concerned. "Well that settles it," I said somewhat sarcastically. I was getting a bit irritated.

"You know," he said, finally facing me. "I've…I've had to deal with a lot of things in my life. I know you understand this…you and I, we've been through so much, together and separately. In the same manner you've built defenses to help you cope…I have my own obstacles."

Kenshin…

"I lost about as much as I can bear during the war, and because of that, I swore that as long as I was around, I will keep safe the ones I love. I…I want to be the one to protect you," he continued with deep intensity. "I suppose I could be unreasonable when it comes to that, but only because it is important to me that I keep this promise. I'm angry because sometimes, you wouldn't let me protect you, but then I know I shouldn't be angry, because I could not fault you for believing in yourself. I keep telling myself that you'll always need my protection, but that just isn't how it is. You helped yourself when Gen-ichi tried to hurt you, didn't you?"

I frowned. "Are you blaming me for what happened with Gen-ichi?"

Kenshin shook his head emphatically. "No. No, Kaoru. I am not blaming you for that. None of it was your fault. What I'm trying to get at is…I want to protect you, but I have to accept the fact that it couldn't be that way all the time. I'm angry because I couldn't always control things, and basically I'm…" He sighed. "I'm taking it out on you because you're the one who made me realize this."

It's funny what goes through Kenshin's head. He's so wrapped up in his concern for others, me in particular, that he's confusing himself. Dear, sweet man. Dear, sweet Kenshin. Only he could be angry with me and still manage to intensify my affection.

"So, have I earned your trust, Kenshin? That I'd be able to take care of myself when the situation calls for it?" I asked him.

He nodded slowly. "When the situation calls for it, I will trust you, but if I can help it, I will always protect you."

I smiled at him. "That's a good enough compromise for me."

He took a deep breath and he tuned out for a moment, pondering to himself.

Troubled over nothing, my rurouni. Does he not realize that what he is feeling is basic human nature? Does he not see that in spite of my protests to his actions, my reluctance to being totally dependent on him, I actually appreciate his concern?

Do I really have this effect on Kenshin? Complicating his thoughts when the simplicity of it is staring him right in the nose? Oh Kenshin, Kenshin…you are spoiling me, dearest.

This will not do. I can't let him do this to himself.

"Kenshin, get over here," I told him, patting the space beside me on the futon.

He looked at me uncertainly, not stirring.

"Come here, silly," I said, chuckling.

Gingerly, he crawled to my side.

The moment he was within reach, I cupped his jaws in my hands and kissed him tenderly on the lips. His astonishment took but a second, and upon realizing that he liked this surprise, he began to kiss back, placing his thumb on my chin as if coaxing me to part my lips. And so I did, letting our tongues caress each other in gentle flicks. It felt wonderful, especially when he thought it best to pull me closer in his arms.

When we separated we were breathless, and I couldn't quite believe how this man could make me feel so much love and desire in something so simple as a kiss.

I'm not sappy. Not normally, but it wasn't so much the feel of his body so close to mine as it was the thought that he could and would ignite passion in me because he loves me, and because I love him.

Nestling my head under his chin, I sighed happily at the pleasant warmth of our embrace.

I felt his fingers running idly through my hair as he placed a loving kiss on my forehead.

His gentleness conveys a kind of carefulness I did not expect, as if I was some sort of fragile virgin. It will not do, of course. I ought to remind him that being virginal is the last thing I'll ever be in this life time, and that whatever reservations he may have in touching me should be discarded in view of the circumstances.

Placing my lips against his throat, I rolled my tongue over his skin and grazed my fingers against the fine lines of his chest, tracing muscles and scars in delicate precision.

He hissed, more like the sound of one affected than annoyed, so I continued my ministrations, earnestly wondering where it would take me.

I was surprised when he clamped his hands around my wrists and coaxed my straying hands from off him. Looking up at his face, I asked myself whether it was possible that I had offended him. Maybe…he doesn't want a woman like me. Used too often…

He smiled, alleviating all of my fears when he let his lips claim mine, then rasping his teeth against my chin before pulling away. So enamored was I with this maneuver that I had not noticed how he had directed both of my hands on my back, holding them there with his own.

It was my turn to hiss. I've never been so aroused by incapacitation in my entire life.

"Your hands," he said, his voice taking on the baritone I had fantasized about a countless number of moments. He kissed me several times on my neck, and I shuddered every time I felt the velvety stroke of his tongue. "Your hands…are roguish…"

I closed my eyes and a moan escaped my throat, pushing myself higher against him with my knees, tilting my chin up for more of his kisses. I barely knew what I was saying when I replied, "My hands…are the least of my roguish attributes…"

He gasped my name, like he was shocked, but not at all deterred by it. "You don't know what those words do to me," he murmured, pulling me even closer, directing me to straddle him because there was no other way to be nearer to each other.

Placing my lips close to his ear and biting slightly at the lobe of it, I smiled to myself before whispering that I knew exactly what it was doing to him at this moment. He groaned, unable to deny my words.

He couldn't, not with the way I was pressed against him and the way his body, or should I say, "body part" was betraying him.

I still had my hands behind my back, he still held them, and not that I didn't like it, but if he wanted to play, I would have to know. So I told him in a soft, seductive tone that if he wanted to use his hands, I promise not to move mine.

Unexpectedly, he stopped, looking up at my face. He seemed…struck, and I was afraid that I had ruined things with my own lack of inhibition. Slowly, his hands slid up my elbows, coaxing them over his own shoulders.

"Kaoru…" He said while I pulled my eyes away from his gaze in shame. "Have you ever…been loved by a man?"

My brows knotted and I began to pull myself away from him. He held me, preventing me from doing so. Why is he asking me that? Does is matter to him all of a sudden? "You know I've been…" I said somewhat bitterly. "I'm sorry if that-"

He shook his head and hushed me softly, planting a tender kiss on my lower lip and biting gently, as if to prove the meaning behind my words wrong. "No…no, that's not what I meant," he said. "Just that it seems to me…that no one has cared enough to touch you the way you want to be touched…"

This astonished me. "I…but you…"

"This is not about me tonight, Kaoru," he whispered, kissing my throat and flicking his tongue on the hollow of it.

I purred and practically passed out at the overwhelming heat his words brought to my body. His tone a seductive alto to my heightened senses.

Oh he liked that purr. He really did, and he made me know it.

"Tonight you will know how it is to be loved by me," he said in sweet assurance, intensifying his ministrations.

I sighed, a small smile creeping up my lips as I tightened my embrace on him.

Kenshin, with his soft, warm lips caressing my skin, grown sensitive with anticipation, was every bit as erotic as I fantasized he was. I could feel his need, his grip on me strong but assuring a loving touch.

His hands slid to my sash and I felt him tug at the knot. The slight impatience that tempered the maneuver coursed a longing in me that demanded to be sated, and looking down at him, I led his hands to where he had to pull. He loosened the belt, removing it from my waist in deliberate slowness.

Oh God, this honeyed torture is almost making me dizzy. He knows this, but even as my climbing passion grew to an aching sweetness, I knew that he does all this for me.

Lifting his face, I kissed him yet again, our tongues meeting languorously while I let him loosen my robe. Even I felt the heat radiating from my body as my garment fell open, free from its bindings.

His hands slid under the cloth, one running up my waist as the other spread flat against the small of my back, as if to secure me. The firmness of his hold gave me an inward shudder. I always knew my rurouni was strong, but to actually feel it in this manner…I moaned at the sheer boldness of it. With arousing confidence, Kenshin cupped my breast, massaging it gently while his lips continued to worship my throat.

My head rolled back involuntarily, moaning as I closed my eyes to savor the strokes of his tongue and the luscious press of his hand. How does he know so well what I like?

I let my fingers comb through his soft hair, holding him to me as he further coaxed my near unbearable willingness. His mouth traveled to the valley of my breasts, his hands incessant in its ministrations, as if relishing the liberties I was allowing it.

Oh rurouni…if you continue like this…I can die now and be happy.

I gasped when I felt him suckle, his tongue almost a torment with the delectable way he was using it. I whimpered, biting on my lower lip to forestall a cry that he seemed to want to taunt from me. The sigh that escaped him only added to the delicious agony.

I could not help but call his name. Sliding my hands up the lapels of my robe, I pushed my clothing completely off my shoulders, leaving me naked in his arms.

Slowly, he pulled his lips away to look at me with his smoky gaze. There was a catch in his breath, but I could not be certain what it was for. Did he like what he was seeing? Am I enough to call his lust?

Before I can even begin to feel self conscious, he caught me in his arms, cradling me as he settled me down on the futon, whispering that he had been dreaming, fantasizing about such moments as these. His words were intensely stimulating, and it was a welcome reminder of his masculinity, that as a man he needed to see, as much as he needed to touch. He murmured praises of me, and I felt delectably beautiful…desirable because of it. I wanted so much to please him, but his voice…the ruggedness of it, suggested that he would do the pleasing until he could no longer insist upon it.

The sounds of rapture rolling from my throat made him groan, telling me in whispered words that it was pushing him to madness. Oh! He even knows what to say!

Settling back on the futon, I gave him a sensual slink, raising my knees and sliding my foot up the back of his thighs. His gaze could have scorched me on the spot, his fingertips gliding up the side of my leg while he watched me intensely through the veil of his hair.

"Take off your robe, Kenshin," I said, almost pleadingly as I rasped my nails lightly down the exposed skin of his chest.

I heard him suck his breath through his teeth, and the corner of my mouth twitched slightly upward. My rurouni has a taste for a bit of rough loving, it seems, but that would have to be explored at another time, because he captured my lips with his in a heated lock.

The contact was seething, and I helped him undo the sash of his robe, my hands pushing off the cloth from his shoulders. The way he tossed off the robe, almost with disdain, send unholy tremors through me, and thus unhampered, he ran his fingers through my hair, tilting my chin up for an even deeper kiss. My chest molded to his, hot skin pressing upon skin.

When he broke away, I could not help but protest, lifting my head from the futon to try and continue the sensations. Discerning my reluctance of the separation, he touched his fingers to my cheek to stay my mild complaints. That same hand, so delicately touching me, trailed to my chin, and then my throat.

I let out a sigh, reaching out and gliding my own fingers down his arm until I came upon his wrist, where I grasped him.

A slight smile tinkered at his lips and he did not resist. This man, who can physically vanquish me, fine and tone muscles evidence of his strength, was letting me lead him. Allowing me to let me show him what I needed, because he had promised that this would be for me, and that he swore complete devotion to me on this night and perhaps the nights thereafter.

Lowering both our hands down my body, I led his palm to my breast. He squeezed lightly, and I indulged myself a moan, writhing feebly at his touch. The catch on his breath was apparent, and it sent another surge of excitement through me. He began to plant open-mouthed kisses on my jaw as he continued his gentle massage on me.

My neck arched, and he worshipped my throat, because I had offered it to him.

Persisting upon my navigation, I led his hand to my navel where he ground the heel of his palm lightly, but impatiently. The low growl from his throat and his insistent exploration of the slope of my stomach pushed me relentlessly to my own limit, but the power to tease was too irresistible, and moaning, I did not even realize that the corner of my lips have curved upward in satisfaction.

His breathing became labored, and he groaned, biting lightly at my chin. "Kaoru…" he murmured hoarsely through his ragged breathing. "You are relentless…"

"Aren't I?" I whispered back, lifting my knee to his side languorously.

He seemed desperate, and turning his head, he placed a hungry kiss on the inside of my leg, cherishing my skin with his lips and tongue, unable to stop a guttural moan.

Oh! Kenshin, no matter how much you have surrendered control to me, you still have me completely at your mercy!

I craved for him, and it was as much for me as it was for him when I let him touch the center of my warmth. His fingers moved immediately, stroking me as he leaned forward to kiss me gratefully on my lips, my jaw, my chin…I could hardly comprehend anything amidst my moans of ardent approval.

He was wonderful, and I could not believe that I had not yearned for this lavishness before. My rurouni…so seemingly innocent when he smiled and held me before, is now so passionate, sensually so.

I began to utter his name in a frantic pitch, and I could barely comprehend as he told me how he could make the experience richer, more luscious than I could have imagined.

He stalked lower down my body and hitched my leg on his shoulder.

My smoldering eyes met his, and I knew what he was going to do to me, and oh how I wanted it! Needed him to do it. I trailed my toes up is back, raising my other knee as I did so, crying out when I felt his tongue tasting me at my core.

Suddenly feeling unfettered I lost myself in his erotic caress, delving my fingers through his hair while my moans began ascending to an uninhibited wail. I did not care if my cries rang out through the room. I did not care if anyone heard me, because I could not stop, I could not restrain myself.

He went on, his hands clasping my hips to keep me in place.

The build up was ruthless in its crescendo, and with the sensations battering me, my back arched in a profound climax.

I called out to him as the relentless surge of passion engulfed me. It was the most glorious feeling in the world, and all I wanted to do was surrender to it completely. It reverberated through my entire body, and I could scarcely believe that one could feel this way, like every pore, from my head, to the tips of my toes, had come alive, bursting with intensity. I savored this blessed sensation, until gradually, my peak dwindled to a close.

Slumping on the futon, I gasped for breath while he rose above me, my knees still on his shoulders.

I ran a hand through my hair and closed my eyes, trying to find words to describe the awesome sensations. "M-Mou…Kenshin…it was never like that…" It was the absolute truth, and his earlier words seeped into my consciousness. No man had cared enough to love me the way I wanted them to. Only Kenshin…making love to me, not because it was some sort of reprieve for me, not only because he believed I ought to be loved this way, but because he wanted to. The depth of it almost made me heady with intoxicated need. Desiring more of it, and hoping that I could return the gift.

Delicately, he ran his hand up my leg, kissing my thigh. "It will always be like that…" he said. "I will take care of you from now on."

My eyes saw the love and compassion gleaming from his gaze, and I could tell…make out that it pains him to think that no one had cared enough before, yet he was satisfied that he had been the one to bring me to the experience. The possession in his voice, the way he made his vow in an extremely personal…intimate manner, and the need in me climbed.

His grip glided up my leg, his palms grasping the front of my thighs, and it brought me to a sudden state of renewed readiness. I stretched alluringly for him to see, coaxing him closer to me, telling him without words what I wanted.

He answered my silent summons, and he pushed his hips forward.

When I felt him penetrate me, my gasp mingled with my moan of pleasure. It was exhilarating, and I saw his eyes close momentarily in savored bliss.

Lowering his hand to the futon to support his weight, he began to move, thrusting to a steady cadence while he opened his eyes, watching me with hypnotized fascination.

The amber flashes in his pupils did nothing to dispel the vehement flush of fever within me.

I could tell, oh I could. He liked seeing me impassioned, relished the way I pushed back, encouraged me with intimate words. Call it arrogance in his part, call it pride, call it whatever you want, but it was sending luscious pulses through my body, and I would in no way reproach him for that.

Tell me what you need, Kaoru, he said in a low, rumbling tone, and for the life of me, I could not deny him.

It was enchanting, the way he rocked into me, his head dipping forward as he groaned with my cries of bliss.

This erotic exchange seemed so deliciously unrestrained, yet I set the pace. His sharp intakes of breath, the tightening of his grip on my thigh…it was all my doing, and I did demand for more.

His pace quickened, intensifying as I cried out even louder in approval.

The control he gave me was addictive, and when he began to whisper that he wanted to hear me like this, that his fulfillment was dependent upon mine, I completely lost it.

I screamed, my body arching in a spasm of gratification. The release was near blinding, and it was even more phenomenal than when he first brought me to near oblivion. But this time, as the sensations of culmination left me, he did not stop. He went on with stalwart resolve.

The way he had refused to give the slightest bit of pause, plunging insistently like a man holding on for dear life, incited in me ungodly passions. Sweat broke out of my skin, astonishment and anticipation bounding together in a frenzied mix of emotions.

He pulled my legs off his shoulders and bent forward to slide his hand beneath me.

I embraced him, noting with great satisfaction that his back was slick with his own perspiration. Unable to help myself, I scraped my fingernails down his skin, not the least bit gentle. He groaned in what I took to be encouragement, and he buried his face on the hollow of my throat, his tongue rolling out hungrily to taste.

Lifting me partly off the futon, he continued his torrid rhythm.

I wrapped my legs around him as he moved, and he murmured his approval of it.

Assured that I would stay close, he slid his hand up my spine until he had it clasped around my nape. He kept whispering my name as he kissed me between breaths, lavishing more attention on my throat and lips.

He pushed harder, rocking against me in an ardent cadence.

It was amazing how he could pleasure me like this, relishing in what I needed. I want to make him happy. I want to be able to push him to the edge as well, but right now, he was bringing me to another exalting oblivion.

The waves of fulfillment descended upon me, swallowing me entirely as I threw my head back and screamed. His whispered rapture over my gratification, intensifying the experience, and I almost passed out at the ecstasy of it.

I brought my knees to the futon and let my hips rock sensually to receive him. He groaned, taking the cap of my breast into his mouth.

Lowering my head, I bit softly at his ear, moaning and murmuring how well he was doing by me.

I told him, begged him to lose himself inside me.

He raised his lips, trailing kisses under my chin while he moved. "Yes Kaoru…soon," he breathed. "I must hear you again."

Insistent still, to coax me to my pinnacle.

But the way he thrust into me, the tight grip he had on my hips as I swayed in sensual harmony to his rhythm, proved too much for me to bear.

I climaxed again, yelling in unhampered fervor. Oh, it was so powerful that it almost knocked me unconscious.

So caught up was I in my delirium that I barely noticed his satisfied smile. I will get him for that.

It is time…I gave him what he deserves.

Descending from my peak, I gathered my breath and gently pushed him to lie on his back. He couldn't resist, but he held on to me, bringing me with him.

Kenshin, so adamant to deny himself something he knew he would not be able to endure. If he can be stubborn, then so can I. He will not win this battle, not if I can help it.

Taking a deep breath, I summoned my will and pulled back my hips. He moaned in complaint, his own hips conveying his aching urge to keep being inside me. But I was determined to impart some measure of the lingering sweetness he had given me. I hovered above him, pressing my hands against his sweat-slicked chest, then bending down, I ran my tongue against his rippling muscles.

He groaned, coaxing my face up so he could kiss me. Grinning slightly, I obliged him, but before he could savor the tangling of our tongues, I pulled away, extracting another objection from him that caused him to raise his head, as if to chase my lips with his.

Mercilessly, I gently placed my hand on his jaw, preventing him to pursue further, and he could only close his eyes in silent resignation. Lowering my body upon him, I rubbed my center against his manhood, eliciting from him a tormented sound. He squired, his eyes pleading as he began to return the touch by the slight movement of his hips, as if he knew he had to resign himself to it for the moment, and that this would have to do for the time being. The touch was affecting me as well, and I knew that I myself could not maintain this slow taunt.

My dear Kenshin…this won't take long.

Tracing my hand down the fine bumps and lines of his shoulder and arm, I clamped my hand on his wrist. Slowly, I guided his hand to my hip, and his immediate grip on my flesh conveyed his tortured need. His other hand, I guided up my body, to my breast, and I did not even have to tell him what to do. His gentle massage was ridden with longing, begging me wordlessly for something he knew I was going to give him.

Deliberately, I impaled myself on him, and he emitted a slight yell that coursed a bolt of heat right through me. I whimpered, relishing the sensations of being rejoined. I began slowly, swaying to a leisurely rhythm that made him moan and hiss in impatience.

He tried, with his hand, to set a faster pace, but I would not let him. I intended to make this linger, to almost make him believe that I wouldn't, because I wanted him to appreciate it to the fullest, see him unravel completely at the seams when I allowed him to let go.

I want the torment to be a honeyed taunt, sensual enough to make him lose all control.

His neck arched back and his hands slid up to cup my face, pleading me with groaned words to heighten the cadence.

It was getting difficult to dismiss his entreaties. This tease has not left me unaffected, and I found myself complying with his petition.

Both his hands were now on my hips, directing the pace, our moans mingling, his eyes closing, and he was already pushing back.

Rocking my hips to meet his thrusts, I reached out to touch his face, whispering for him to open his eyes and look at me.

When his gaze was upon me, I made certain to move enticingly, give him something to see that would push him to the edge of his chasm. He watched me, enraptured, unable to look away, and the thought that I could captivate him so sent tremors of excitement through me, building sensations within me in an unstoppable torrent. Before I could stop myself, I crested that blessed arc, writhing above him while I screamed.

Mere seconds after my climax, he gave a loud shout, pushing rabidly up against me, tensing. His neck arched, eyes shut, fingers digging into my flesh almost painfully, Kenshin finally lost himself, succumbing to my ministrations while his groan rang out in the room like the sound of a man defeated, but willingly so.

It was almost empowering, the satisfaction I derived from its intensity.

Never have I experienced anything like this before, because Kenshin was the only man in my entire life who loved me enough to let me conquer him.

I could not have dreamed how exhaustion could be this beautiful. Wrapped in his arms, both of us still recovering from the incredible way we had completed each other.

Nothing could possibly compare to the sublimity of it all.

Our breathing steadied, and I finally reclaimed the strength to speak.

"Kenshin…you were wonderful…" I told him in a subdued whisper, delicately tracing the scar on his face with my finger. Giving so much, practically asking nothing in return. He was so true to his promise, that it would be all for me.

I indulged myself a mischievous smile. I would have to turn the tables one of these days, but right now, I just wanted love the way he was loving me.

He was still panting through his lips, but the corners of his mouth curved up slightly. "You make it sound like it was all my doing."

I blinked in surprise, and then I chuckled. "You silly man, it was all your doing!"

"Of course it wasn't all my doing," he said, pulling me closer as he nibbled on my ear. "And I will insist upon the point, so there is no use arguing with me. Hush."

I rolled my eyes around. "Mou! Stubborn man," I responded, to which he gave a slight chuckle.

"You are tired," he then told me in a soothing voice. "Go to sleep, love."

Now that he mentioned it, I suddenly felt a heaviness come upon my eyes. I sighed in contentment, snuggling against him as he pulled the sheets around us.

"The nights are getting cold," he murmured. "Autumn is setting in."

"Yes…" I said drowsily. "But not tonight, ne Kenshin?"

"No, not tonight," he agreed softly, kissing my forehead.

From below the window, we heard a faint wisp of a drunken song, about mountains and cherry blossoms in the spring.

Though sung without thought or consideration of a tune, it was lulling, and slowly, I drifted off to sleep thinking that as long as Kenshin and I were together, nights would never seem as cold as they used to be.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

**THE SPY**

Pleasant mornings for me were scarce, not that I seldom enjoyed mornings at all. It's just that usually, I wake up cranky, my mood ruined by a nightmare, but as much as possible, I try to avoid dwelling on things, and I let other people cheer me up as the morning progresses.

However, right now, as I opened my eyes, I decided that the day would be beautiful, because last night was the first time I made love.

Oh, not first time in that sense. Heaven's no! I lost whatever virginity I possessed long ago, quite reluctantly, if I may add. What I mean is, no one had ventured to love me the way Kenshin did, and I've never ventured to pleasure in return, until last night.

Kenshin has inspired new feelings in me, has taught me to yearn for things I never thought would matter. Making love is one of those things, among many, and I adore him all the more for it.

"Good morning," I heard him say to me softly while he nuzzled my nape.

It's all good.

I purred and nestled against him, rubbing my foot on his leg. "Good morning, Kenshin. Did you sleep well, love?" I asked, craning my neck to look at him.

A glow lit his face and he started to nibble at the soft skin on my ear. "Absolutely..." he murmured.

I realized then that I haven't actually told him how much I love him. I had been so consumed last that I merely showed him. Some say that would be enough, but in my humble opinion, there was nothing wrong with being articulate when it came to matters of the heart.

"Kensin," I whispered. "I love you."

He looked up, smiled at me and proceeded to kiss my jaw line, breathing the same words.

Heat crept through my body, more so when his hands started to run up the curves of my hips and waist.

This day is getting better by the second.

Kenshin began whispering seductive words, telling me what he wanted to do with me because, he said, I am currently vulnerable in his arms.

He could just be so unbelievably sexy that I would be a nitwit to refuse.

I was quickly disposed to let him do with me as he willed when sharp knocks sounded from the door, and then a hollered, "Wake up you two! Your train's due to leave in an hour!"

Perfect timing as usual.

Damn you, Kyosuke.

Kenshin stopped and groaned against my throat.

"T-Tell him we're busy," I whispered to Kenshin desperately. "He'd listen to you. He's afraid of you, ne?"

Kenshin raised his head and looked at my impassioned face, then he smiled apologetically.

I flashed him a seductive pout. "Oh don't...you're the one who started this..." I whined, sliding my hands up his chest.

He chuckled quietly. "I did...didn't I?"

"Yoohoo!" Called Kyosuke from outside. "Whatever it is you're doing, just give it a rest! You'll have all the time in the world when you get back to Edo!"

Kenshin muttered an "oro" the way I've never heard him utter it before, with great annoyance. "We'll be ready in a few minutes, Kyosuke-san," he said loudly over his shoulder.

"Okay. I'll be in the reception hall!" Kyosuke replied, and then silence settled in.

"All right," I said to Kenshin, throwing my arms around his neck. "Let's make this quick!"

Kenshin chuckled and kissed my forehead. "We will have to continue this another time."

I sighed in resignation. Must be the Hiten Mitsurugi will power, either that or there's something wrong with me. He had just managed to refuse a woman who is currently naked underneath him, and in my opinion, the average man would find it difficult to resist, but when was Kenshin ever average, anyway?

"Ouch," I said.

He smiled and slipped out of the sheets. "We mustn't keep Master Kyosuke waiting."

Rolling my eyes around, I gave myself a few seconds to be lazy so I could watch Kenshin sitting up on the futon to contemplate.

Naturally he was naked, and good for me, because I was enjoying the view. He had his elbows leaning on his knees while he stared into space. His body was bereft of fat, perfectly line, scarred in several places...but his scars added character to him.

Not just another pretty boy, my rurouni.

And that red hair cascading down him back...mou!

I placed a hand on his shoulder as a loving caress. "Something troubling you, Kenshin?" I asked.

Kenshin snapped out of his musings and looked at me. "Kaoru, after all that's said and done, it is rather disturbing that I am the one who will put away Saitoh without actually drawing my sword."

Ah yes. I could understand that. After all the fuss about Saitoh's virtual invincibility, it took a pen, not a sword, to beat him. It's uncanny, and for someone who has been the wolf's archenemy for so long, Kenshin is still in shock.

I sat up in bed and let my hands glide around his body from behind him. Leaning my head on his nape, I embraced him. "Maybe it was the only way."

"Maybe," he replied.

He kissed my lips and then stood up, picking his robe up from the floor where he had discarded it the night before. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and pulled on my own sleeping robe.

A quick bath in the communal furo, throwing on some clothes...we'd have to hurry if we wanted to catch our train.

The train gave a steamy hiss while we stood on the platform, giving Kyosuke our good byes. He will not be going back to Edo with us.

"It's been real, my friends," Kyosuke said with his usual detachment. "Thanks."

"Sure thing, Kyo-chan," I said, nudging the bound journals by my feet to keep it from toppling on my toes.

I saw Kenshin's cheek twitch at the nickname. I noticed he did that every time I called Kyosuke Kyo-chan. Goodness, is it because it made him jealous? Mou! I would have to talk to Kenshin about it.

"Come by Edo again some time," I told Kyosuke. "And hopefully because you actually want to see us, not use us."

Kyosuke shrugged. "Touché. But heck, you never know, right?"

"Yeah," I said pointedly. What a dickhead.

"No hard feelings, ey Himura?" Kyosuke said, sticking his hand out at Kenshin for a shake.

Kenshin looked at the hand. It was a Western gesture, this shaking of hands, but I knew Kenshin was familiar with the custom. Only, he decided to play dumb, probably because he still despised Kyosuke for a lot of reasons.

So then came that clueless smile on his face. "It has been most interesting, Kyosuke-san," he said, bowing instead.

"Look at this guy, huh?" Kyosuke said affectionately, clapping a hand on Kenshin's back forcefully and squeezing him by the shoulders. "Isn't he just lovable? Isn't he, Kao-chan?"

"Oro!"

I gently pushed Kyosuke away and took Kenshin by the arm. "Oh, leave him alone, Kyosuke. You could be such an asshole."

"And you could be such a bitch," he replied.

"I'll get you for that some day," I muttered.

"Bring it on, baby," he shot back.

To my absolute shock, he slapped me on my behind and I gave a loud yelp, jerking at the force of it.

"Kyosuke!" I scolded him, Kenshin growling in the background.

Kyosuke laughed, though he stepped away for some distance. "Hey, cheap thrills, ne? I always wanted to do that, so live with it."

Ooh! I cursed then told Kenshin. "It's alright, love. He isn't worth it."

"Tell me that when he isn't copping a feel, de gozaru yo," said Kenshin through his teeth.

"Kyosuke, run," I said plainly.

"Right," he responded, already backing away. "Nice knowing you, Himura. We'll have some sake next time. Talk things out."

Kenshin stepped towards him, not looking the least bit amenable.

"Bye!" Kyosuke cried, taking off. "Have a safe trip!" He yelled over his shoulder as he retreated.

"One day..." Kenshin grumbled, grabbing the journals from the floor as I dragged him to our train car.

"Yes dear," I told him calmly, pushing back imaginary strands of hair from his forehead. "But until that time, we can forget about him, ne? It's more pleasant that way."

Shooting a final glare in the direction Kyosuke had taken, Kenshin nodded and boarded the train with me.

Come to think of it, maybe it's best if we didn't see Kyosuke any time soon.

The trip back proved to be pleasant. Having time alone, Kenshin and I talked about a lot of things. Our concerns for the future, being together, mild confessions of one thing or another...we even talked about marriage, and kids. Oh Kenshin liked talking about those two things, though he made no formal proposals. Knowing Kenshin, he probably wanted to make that a special affair, which is totally fine with me. Kenshin was more animated with talk of children, though. He rattled off names, for both boys and girls, like he wanted to have twenty kids or something. I joked lightly that with all the kids he was planning to have, I'd be pregnant the rest of our married life. He merely raised an eyebrow, saying, "And that's bad because...?"

I got him for that. No matter how special Kenshin was, he could still be a man-guy.

Of course, several hours in a train, alone in our carriage, nobody should expect that all we would do was talk. There were wordless moments, comfortable ones, and sometimes, intimate ones.

Oh please...surely making out was totally natural with the privacy we had and all. And if I were just a bit bolder, I'd have given him something he would always remember whenever he ventured to ride a train. There are a lot of things a woman can do to a man when given the chance, and I would have done it too, if only the door had a lock.

In spite of those inhibitions, I am proud to say that Kenshin was not, and perhaps never will be, immune to my "womanly" enticements. Most assuredly, he whispered to me that he could not wait to get home and show me what he had been envisioning of me in the train.

Conclusion: We had to get home fast.

It was nearly nine o' clock in the evening when we arrived in Edo, and grabbing our bags, Kenshin very well dragged me back to the dojo in record time.

Poor Yahiko, all the while I was praying that he'd be asleep by the time we got home.

I suppose...that had been asking too much from the gods, because as we stepped through the gates of the Kamiya Dojo, Yahiko and Sano were there, wide-awake.

"Ha! Cough it up, loser!" Yahiko told Sano upon seeing us.

Sano uttered an oath and handed Yahiko some money.

It made me frown. "Sano, what the hell is going on? Are you teaching Yahiko to gamble?"

"Hey!" Sano protested. "I didn't make the bet. Yahiko did. I just called it!"

"Oro! What did you bet on?" Kenshin asked, dropping our bags on the porch.

"That you two would be back today," Yahiko said triumphantly while counting out his coins. "Without the shrimp."

Shrimp...? And then it occurred to me. "The shrimp decided to be left behind."

"Good riddance," Yahiko muttered before going back to counting. "...ju-kyuu...ni-juu...ni-juu ichi...ni-juu ni...ni-juu san..."

"Hey Kenshin," Sano said. "Saitoh was arrested this morning on charges of murder. D'you have anything to do with that?"

Kenshin paused. "Somewhat. I was not the one who had him arrested. The police captain in Aizu saw it fit to recommend that he be brought in for questioning. I suppose they saw it fit to arrest him after that."

"Cool!" Sano exclaimed. "You got him good, buddy. Kawaji himself was there for the arrest. Saitoh didn't put up a fight, though."

"I'd imagine he wouldn't," Kenshin said ponderously.

Is there something wrong?

"I didn't get much. Just that Saitoh practically admitted to masterminding a bunch of murders. Doesn't take a genius to figure out whose murder he was talking about." Sano continued. "I asked around for more info but that was it. Maybe you'd be able to find out more, Kenshin."

Kenshin just nodded.

I asked the boys if they've had their dinner. When they said that Tae and Megumi had provided, I made a mental note to give my thanks to the women for babysitting them.

Sano was made to report on what he had gathered from the Oniwabanshu. He said that there was no news so far, but he'd be checking again tomorrow.

Soon, the activity in the house settled, and Sano went his way to his nightly gambling sprees, not at all deterred by his losses to Yahiko.

When I had finished unpacking, I thought of going to Kenshin's room.

Oh, it's nothing like that yet, but the rurouni looked like he had something on his mind when Sano was telling us about the events of that morning.

Quietly, I knocked on his door before gingerly sliding it open.

I saw him seated on his tatami mat, staring at the wall.

"Kenshin?" I called softly.

He looked up at me, as if startled, and then he smiled, holding his hand out in a gesture that said I was to join him.

Entering his room, I slid the door shut before taking his offered hand and seating myself beside him on the tatami. "What's on your mind, Kenshin?"

"You," he replied lamely.

I chuckled and pinched his arm lightly. "That's sweet, but really now..."

He sighed, letting me push his hair back from his face as he spoke. "Those diaries..."

"They are in my room," I said, thinking that he was worried about them.

"Daisuke-san must not get his hands on them."

Well, that was unexpected. "Whoa, hey...back up a bit. Daisuke? What the hell-?"

In a low, confidential tone, Kenshin told me what Daisuke's role was in all of this. I was thoroughly astonished, barely believing but knowing it to be true because it was Kenshin telling the story. Probes...re-evaluation...the DIA...it was an altogether bamboozling affair, and as I heard the whole thing, I drew my own conclusions.

"So if Daisuke were to get hold of these diaries, not only will Saitoh be convicted for his own crimes, he'd have a dishonorable dismissal to boot, courtesy of the Department of Internal Affairs," I said.

"Is it so wrong for me to at least leave him some of his honor?" Kenshin asked me, deeply distressed. "I know he deserves everything that comes to him, and we could even say that most of us finds no honor in murder, but he thinks he has done an honorable thing trying to get rid of all the Shikeigai. Having him kicked out by the DIA would seem..."

"Unnecessarily brutal?" I suggested when I saw that he was at a loss for words.

"Yes. Exactly." He sighed. "I hate him, but I would like to think I am not so cruel. It would be ignominy, and even with the many lives I've taken, I was never like that."

I squeezed his hand. "Kenshin, we will get rid of those journals, ne? We will let no one use it for such gains," I told him soothingly.

Kenshin squeezed back, and then he cupped my face to kiss me, a show of appreciation that I understood.

Moments later, he was whispering about how clever I was, tugging at my obi as he did so. I smiled.

I have to disagree with Matsuhime about Kenshin not being some great romancer, because right now, he was seductively amorous, and me being at the receiving end of it, my view of the matter was somewhat one-sided.

Daisuke...the journals...it was forgotten amidst our bliss, but who the heck was I to complain?

**THE HITOKIRI**

Sleep left me, and I opened my eyes drowsily against the darkness of the room. I had no idea whether it was midnight or morning, but it didn't matter. I had Kaoru in my arms, breathing peacefully in restful sleep.

I watched her face silently, still marveling at how she had accepted my love. I would have to ask her to marry me soon, because one, there was no point in waiting; two, I do not need rumormongers to start chattering about how Battousai and the Kenjutsu instructor are sleeping together before marriage (even if they were probably saying that long before I admitted my feelings to Kaoru, except this time it's true); and three, the thought that she would be my wife, Himura Kaoru, gave me a sense of pride and security. Admittedly, marriage was my way of claiming her as my own, but I knew deep down that there really was no claiming her. It was a trait among persons of her strength, but then, a semblance of such a claim was enough for me, and it would deter anyone who might have any fool ideas of trying to take her away. Kaoru is a very comely woman, and surely there are idiots out there who might try to pursue her.

I would have to lighten up on my petty jealousies, I know, but I could not help it. I have been protecting her and caring for her these past two and a half years, loving her all the while. Surely, I could be allowed a margin of possessiveness.

I remembered vaguely the conversation we had that night we first made love. She had asked me if I was angry with her. I could hardly explain to her how I felt, because my own emotions were confusing me, but I managed it anyway, and she showed her understanding in the most sublime way possible.

My anger that night was not so much towards her, but towards myself, because try as I might, I could not be the one to protect her all the time. When I told her I would trust her when the situation called for it, she had declared it a good enough compromise.

Compromise. Such a boxed, technical, and sanitized word for such intense emotions.

She is important to me, and because of that, I could hardly be rational when it comes to matters about her. I act on instinct, convincing myself that I was thinking of the consequences, until I realize that I am not in absolute control. That after all that's said and done, she is the only one who can control me, without need of a sword, even without words. All it takes is a look, the depth of her eyes, and I am completely at her mercy. How does she do this to me?

Smiling to myself, I realized that though I may never know the answer for sure, I could stand a lifetime of guesses.

I pulled the covers more snuggly over her naked shoulders after I felt a sudden chill from the Autumn-tainted wind. Even with the intense way we made love, the warmth from it could only keep us for so long.

My God, she is an incredible lover.

She knows where to touch, how to touch, how to tease to make the experience more gratifying. Since Kaoru's revelations, I had accepted the fact that she was no longer innocent to a woman's power to affect a man, but I found out, not without astonishment, how her new personality had exchanged that innocent image with the provocative, and how it excited me. It almost made me feel ashamed that I could have such impure thoughts about her, but I love her, and that makes all the difference in the world.

Though it pains me to think that she had learned all of it the hard way, I thanked the divinities that she had the amazing grace to make something beautiful out of it all. Only Kaoru could do such a thing. A mark of her courage. I will always cherish that.

It suddenly occurred to me that my room had no windows, and I wondered where that cold nip was coming from.

I looked at the door and found that it was slightly ajar.

Odd. I remembered that Kaoru had made sure to close it before she entered my room.

Careful not to wake her, I slipped out of bed to slide the door shut.

Just when I was about to go back to bed, I froze.

I've felt that ki...

Quickly throwing on a robe and grabbing my sakabatou, I rushed out of my room, my defenses going on alert.

I passed Kaoru's room. Her door was open, but it wasn't so much that fact which bothered me. She could have left her door open by accident, but I saw evidence of someone having gone through her things, like someone had sloppily rummaged through her trunk of clothes. One of Kaoru's most disciplined obsessions is neatness and cleanliness. Not a speck of dust was unaccounted for as long as she was around, not a thing would be misplaced, and she would never make a mess of her room.

I rushed to the front lawn, my eyes darting through the light of the fading moon.

Nothing, just the nightly sounds of nocturnal creatures, not quite through with their prowls.

Still wary, I checked the rest of the property. First the house, and then the dojo. Except for Kaoru's room, nothing was amiss. I was rather reluctant to check the dojo, because that meant I would have to relatively leave the house. I'd rather guard it, in case whatever or whoever came through here returned and ventured to harm my loved ones.

Not bothering to change out of my sleeping robe until Kaoru woke up, I hurried my search through the dojo and went back to the porch, my fighting senses in ready stance in case I had to act fast.

I had been there for quite some time when Kaoru suddenly appeared, her face still rosy from sleep.

"Kenshin? What are you doing out here?" She asked me sleepily, sinking to her knees to lean against me and close her eyes drowsily. She yawned.

"Check your room, Kaoru. See if you're missing something. We've had a break in and I will not be leaving this post until daybreak," I said to her.

This piece of news woke her up considerably. She jerked to alertness and blinked several times. "Are you serious?"

"Love, check your room," I repeated gently.

My words finally registered and she scrambled to her feet, hurrying to follow my instructions.

Moments later, she gave a muffled wail. I stood up to go to her but she met me on the porch, flustered.

"Kenshin, the journals are gone," she told me hastily.

The journals...

I rubbed my eyes wearily and shook my head, uttering a mild oath.

"Who in hell would take a cop's journals, anyway?" She asked, mirroring my distress.

I raised my gaze to her face. "We did, remember?"

"Oh. Right. I forgot."

Yahiko came padding out, scratching his head in sleepy irritation. "What is it this time?"

"We've been robbed, Yahiko-kun." I told him.

"EH?" This woke him up in an instant. "Did the robber take anything valuable? Money, heirlooms, food?"

"N-No...nothing like that," Kaoru said. "But it was something important."

Yahiko frowned. "Well then, we have to tell the cops!"

I nodded but gave them a weary stare. "Of course we have to. But...why do I get the feeling that reporting it would do no good?"

"It probably wouldn't," she said, making her way into the house. "God, this is just what we need...a damn robbery...after everything that's happened...what time is it anyway? Looks like it'll be daybreak soon."

Indeed, it seemed that dawn was approaching. Might as well get things going in the right direction. Fix Kaoru's bath...perhaps prepare breakfast while she was in the furo...and then I could go straight to the police station.

I sighed. This whole thing was supposed to end with Saitoh's arrest, wasn't it?

Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.

Before I left for the police station after breakfast, I asked Kaoru if she wanted to go with me.

"Oh, Kenshin sweetheart, I would but I've got tons of errands to run," she said, brushing her knuckle affectionately on my cheek. "You know, things I've put off here in Edo since you had me detained in my own home...?"

I chuckled and shot her a tolerant look. "Maa...I did not detain you..."

She arched an eyebrow.

"Well perhaps I did..." I admitted. "A little bit, but I only did it for your safety."

"You're doing it again, albeit unconsciously. You're hoping I'd go with you so I wouldn't be gallivanting by myself," she said.

I frowned. "That is not true, de gozaru yo!"

"Yes dear, now eat your tofu."

Yahiko laughed. "You're so busted, Kenshin!"

"Oro..." I muttered. "But Kaoru, dearest...you will be careful, ne?"

"Yes, Kenshin. You know I will," she said with a grin and a roll of her eyes.

Yahiko looked from me to Kaoru suspiciously. "What's with all these 'sweethearts', and 'dears' and 'dearests'? Are you two like...in love or something?"

"Well, I thought you'd be happy, Yahiko-kun," Kaoru said, getting to her feet and picking up her purse and parasol.

Yahiko gasp. "Oh my God! You both finally admitted it! Eew!"

Oro!

Kaoru thought it best to ignore what he said and proceeded to tell him that he would be coming with her because she refused to leave him in the house alone. He protested, but Kaoru merely took him by his ear, yanked him to his feet as he loudly complained, and told him to get ready to leave.

Yahiko had no choice but to comply.

Well, this is lucky. At least I did not have to worry about Kaoru walking the streets alone.

We walked out of the house together, and before we parted at the gate, I asked her if she could pass by the clinic and get the healing salve from Megumi, because I had forgotten to get it myself the other day.

"Sure Kenshin," she said, opening her parasol.

She gave me a coquettish smile and it actually crossed my mind to scandalize all of Japan by kissing her right there in the street, but Yahiko spoke up before either of us could do anything as stupid as that.

"You're not going to embarrass me and start kissing in public, are you?" Yahiko demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kaoru arched an eyebrow and turned away from me to start walking in the opposite direction. "We will do no such thing as kiss in public," she muttered, though I could almost make out her irritation at how propriety was getting in the way. "I'll see you later, love." She told me over her shoulder.

I smiled at her as I watched her walk off with Yahiko, the child telling her in a disgusted voice, "Jeez. I'm beginning to wish that you and Kenshin haven't gone all icky. Just make sure that when you and Kenshin do the gross stuff like kissing and what not, I'm not around to see it...delicate eyes, you know."

Chuckling, I turned in the opposite direction, heading for the police station.

The police station was milling with an ingress and egress of people. Policemen, civilians, and a few other familiar faces.

I should not have been surprised to see Sano's friend, ex-gangster turned expose-journalist, Tsukioka Katsuhiro. No doubt, he was here to cover Saitoh's story.

"Good morning, Himura-san," said the withdrawn young man as I met him at the steps of the police station. "I've been hoping to see you since yesterday, but Sano told me you were out of town."

I nodded. "Good morning, Katsuhiro-san. Yes, I had been out of town and I only got back last night. Here to cover Fujita-san's story?"

He smiled. "Of course, and I have it in good authority that you had a lot to do with his arrest."

Ah. His authority would be Sano, naturally. "I'd rather not take any credit, Katsuhiro-san," I told him.

The journalist shrugged. "You usually don't. May I see you for an interview later, Himura-san?"

I gave him an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, but I prefer not to comment. Too many things shouldn't be said. You'd do better to interview Kawaji-dono, or those who attended Fujita-san's arrest."

Katsuhiro shrugged. "Maybe. I'll ask you again, ne?"

"Be my guest," I replied, turning to head into the station.

When I entered, I was greeted by the usually friendly staff, though I noticed that their moods were weighted, like something had gone very wrong but there was nothing they could do about it. I suppose it was disconcerting to have ones boss arrested for murder.

As I walked through the station, deciding on whom I should report the robbery to, I saw Nakagura Daisuke talking to someone in Saitoh's office. They were deep in conversation, and as I looked a bit more, I saw that Kawaji Toshiyoshi was actually seated in Saitoh's chair.

I suppose I should not have been surprised to see either of them here.

It got me to think about how Saitoh was doing. Was he still being detained in the station?

Referring to one of the staff, I found out that Saitoh was still in the jail cells below, and that he would remain there for the duration of his trial. I asked the man I was speaking to if I could see Saitoh.

The man was congenial, and he attended to my request.

I was required to make an entry in a logbook listing callers for the prisoners, and I noted with a quick glance that Nakagura Daisuke and someone named Hideaki Ashikaga had paid Saitoh a visit earlier that morning.

After making me sign some more papers, I was escorted to the detainment facility.

Saitoh had been assigned to the farthest cell of the dim hallway, making it even more difficult for any light to get through.

"Fujita-sama," said the man, whom I noticed still stood at attention when speaking to his boss through the peephole. "Someone is here to see you."

"Is it my lawyer? I have no use for a Harper right now," Saitoh said in his usual abrupt fashion.

"No Fujita-sama...it is-" "Ah, Battousai. Should have recognized your ki. Come in, make yourself at home."

As sardonic as ever, I see. Not even charges of murder can take that away from Saitoh.

The policeman unlocked the bolt and let me in. "Five minutes," he told me.

I nodded and stepped into the cell, the sound of lock and key ringing out through the room.

Through the dimness, I could make out Saitoh's form, sitting calmly on the wooden bunk leaning against the wall. This time, he held no cigarette. One would think that his men would sneak him at least a pack, but I suppose they were too afraid to be caught breaking the rules. v "Came here to gloat, Battousai?" Saitoh asked me.

"No, I did not," I replied. "It seems silly...because I somewhat know the answer, but I want to hear it from you...why? Why did you do it?"

He paused for what seemed like an eternity, then he began to speak. "Because I hate them. Because they're traitors. That woman of yours, especially. Pretending to be so innocent...she lied to you as well, didn't she?"

I took a calming breath. "She did it for the safety of the others, but then I did not come here to justify her actions. Why would you go so far as to sacrifice so much for this? Did you really think you were not going to get caught? Those letters were bound to be discovered, Saitoh. A man like Gen-ichi will keep things like that so he would have something to drag everyone down with him."

Saitoh chuckled. "Doesn't seem like me to be so careless, ey Battousai? Not like me at all, but that's how things are. I'd rather go down for the murders of Shikeigai brats than solely by the hand of an agent of the DIA. It's more fitting for me to be a murderer than a cop 'unfit' for his duties, don't you think?"

"Saitoh, you bastard," I hissed. "Is this what this is all about? Going out with a bang?"

His feral eyes glowed. "Better than going out with a kick in the butt."

"I am inclined to think that he will make certain you get dismissed anyway," I told him. "Officially."

Saitoh gave a nonchalant shrug. "Still looks glossier on my record to be convicted for the killing of those dishonest rats. I can stomach the official dismissal, so long as everybody knows I had a hand in getting rid of the Shikeigai. Depend upon it, though. Daisuke will try to drag me lower, and he will get me officially expelled, he has evidence to support that, but it would hardly matter in view of the murders. I'll go down in history for the Shikeigai, not because of a pencil pushing dickhead."

"You are a sick man, Saitoh," I said.

"That is true," Saitoh intoned. "But hear this. There is someone out there sicker than I am. If you think this case is over, then you're fucked, Battousai. And so is that woman of yours. If my calculations are correct, she ain't long for living."

I froze. What is he saying?

"Figure it out, Battousai. You cracked this case, didn't you?" Saitoh said with a sneer. "Do me a favor though, when you catch that guy, wait until my arraignment, after I plead guilty."

I stared at his unmoving shadow. "Saitoh, is there still someone out there who will try to harm Kaoru?"

He chuckled. "Oh he's out there, alright. I'm certain he'll get the job done. He's not in here, is he? If he's gotten this far, he's a brilliant son of a bitch. I admire him for the way he's handled all this."

"Who is he, Saitoh?" I demanded.

Saitoh rubbed his chin with his hand. "Actually, I'm not sure. I'm not even certain if it's a man. Could be a woman. Heck, who the hell knows, eh? All I know is, he or she has done me a great service."

"Saitoh!" I hissed, bounding towards him and grabbing him by the collar of his uniform. "Tell me!"

Saitoh did not even try to get free of my grasp. His eyes became tight slits, more feral than ever. "That's all I can tell you."

"Time!" Came a loud cry from outside the cell.

I let go of Saitoh roughly. "You will burn in hell, wolf," I growled, walking to the door.

"Looking forward to it, Battousai," he said as I stepped out of his cell.

I spotted Nagakura Daisuke just about ready to leave the station, looking terribly official with a western brief case and a notebook clutched in his hand.

I was still rattled from my conversation with Saitoh, and I wondered if I should even approach Daisuke, but Saitoh had mentioned something about being certain of his official expulsion from office, and I had this feeling that there was something important in it.

"Nakagura-dono," I finally said to him as I approached.

Daisuke looked quite astonished. "Himura-san. Good morning."

I nodded and forced a smile. "Good morning. Funny I should see you here."

"Yes well, I came here for work. I was just leaving." he replied neutrally.

"Oro! What happened to your other job?" I responded, taking up my clueless demeanor.

He raised an eyebrow, probably thinking I was the biggest idiot to grace Japan. "I am not applying for a new job, Himura-san. I have come here to assess matters regarding the arrest of Fujita Goro. You have heard about it?"

"Yes. Quite an affair, isn't it?" I said.

His face was bereft of expression. "Indeed. This will certainly make my work easier."

He is no longer as secretive. "Oh? And why is that?" I asked, taking the opportunity.

Daisuke smiled slightly. "Astonishing you do not know, since you seem to have figured in a lot of Fujita-san's exploits, as my investigation has told me."

I continued to play dumb. "Nakagura-dono, are you telling this unworthy one that you have been assigned to reevaluate Fujita-san's career as a Police Captain?"

He nodded with an air of superiority. "That is what I do as an agent of the DIA."

I decided to show him a bit of what I know, just to see where it would take me. "Oro! Then I suppose you can close your case, seeing as he will most probably be convicted considering the evidence against him is so strong."

A flicker of confusion crossed his face, then all manner of expression disappeared. "He may be convicted Himura-san, but I have a duty to recommend his express dismissal from his post."

"That would seem a bit excessive," I remarked.

"Not at all. He deserves all that's coming to him," Daisuke told me. "He has done a lot of terrible things, and he must pay. Frankly, I find that this task will be my finest accomplishment to date."

It suddenly dawned on me that there was a lot more to Daisuke's resolve than he let on. What a coincidence that he had been given this assignment, ne? Or more probably not a coincidence, more likely that he had requested for the assignment himself, because he wanted to be the one to put Saitoh away. This was revenge, for the murder of his wife, Miyori. He learned it from Ikue, in the same manner we did. And to have Saitoh so discredited...Daisuke was taking pride in this. No wonder he isn't as secretive as he used to be. He was ready to let the world know that he will play a big part in Saitoh's demise.

If that was the case, then there was no stopping Daisuke. God knows if Saitoh had succeeded in having Kaoru killed, I would probably feel the same.

"I must attend to my business, Nakagura-dono," I said, bowing to him. "There was a-"

I froze, my eyes piercing the notebook he had in his grasp. In his arm was a very familiar logbook, something with a fading gray cover and an embossed golden strip going down its length. It could be anything, really. There was probably quite a few of the same kind sold around Japan, but...

"Where did you get that notebook?" I demanded of Daisuke, unable to help myself.

Daisuke blinked in shock, and then realizing what I had asked of him, he frowned. "I believe that is none of your business-"

I stepped towards him and he retreated slightly, clutching the book to himself. "It is my business, Nakagura-san. This morning there was a robbery in my home, and that notebook is one of the items that were taken. I shall ask you again. Where did you get that notebook?"

The surrounding crowd in the department was already noticing our little scuffle, and Daisuke looked around us, apparently flustered.

Swallowing, he gestured for the door. "Let us take this outside, Himura-san."

I'd prefer not to, but I was less likely to get to the bottom of this if I had him questioned by the police for the possession of stolen goods.

Turning, I strode out of the door, Daisuke following behind me.

Finding a relatively private spot outside the station, I faced him. "Explain."

My commanding tone did not please him, but he replied. "First of all, whatever it is that happened in your home this morning, I had nothing to do with it. I make no habit of cavorting with criminals. Secondly, whether or not these journals belong to you, I am afraid that as an agent of the DIA, I have every right to use it for my work, at least until I have closed this case. This is the property of the state now, if only temporary. Thirdly, I am not one to employ underhanded tactics. I have already told Fujita-san that I will use this against him."

So that is what Saitoh meant. About Daisuke succeeding in his task. Still...there is something nagging me.

"There are four journals, Nakagura-dono," I told him pointedly. "Where are the others?"

"They are in my home. I am currently going through them one by one," he said calmly.

"You have still not answered my question. How did you get them?" I insisted.

He glared at me. "They were delivered to my door this morning by an anonymous person."

"Anonymous? You do not know who he is?"

He hesitated, that was his mistake.

"You do," I growled.

"I can only assume. I did not actually see him leave the journals, but let it be said that I did not tell him to steal it!" Daisuke said. "You must believe me when I say that."

With all that has been happening, I will not be so quick in my judgments. "Forgive me but I will be prudent. That fact is yet to be deciphered, Nakagura-san. Who is this person you are talking about? You must tell me." For some reason, my heart began to beat fast in my chest.

Daisuke sighed. "What are you going to do to him?"

"It depends," I replied. "What is his involvement in this case?"

"Ah. Well then if you must know, he has been helping me gather information about Fujita-san, also known as Saitoh Hajime. My informant was quite determined to see Saitoh's demise as well, you see, this informant of mine...there is a history with him and the wolf."

A knot turned in my stomach. I was getting a distinct feeling of unease, like this case is exactly what Saitoh said it was, unfinished.

"What is the man's name?" I asked.

Daisuke cocked a smile. "I believe he is one of the Shikeigai. A friend of my wife...his name is Fukushima Banshio."

I think I'm going to be sick.

**THE SPY**

It took us a while to get to the clinic. I decided to pass by Tae's first to thank her for taking care of Yahiko, and Yahiko of course had to flirt around with Tsubame, whether or not he knew he was doing it.

I didn't realize that going back to my Sunshiny Kaoru personality would be so hard to play after I've been my true self for the past week. It's either my abilities to act have been dulled by the sheer comfort of being myself, or that I was tired. I had been going from one place to another, chasing and fighting off criminals, lacking sleep...I need a vacation.

Yahiko and I had a snack before I headed off for the clinic by myself (the boy had decided to stay with Tsubame. How cute.), and frankly, I considered skipping my visit to the good doctors, but then I might as well go and get the healing salve. Kenshin seldom made requests.

Passing an old geezer who had a Go board in front of him, I wondered briefly whom he was playing with, seeing as there was no one who sat across from him.

"Care for a round, young lady?" He asked me with a toothless smile.

I grinned. Why not? It'll be a good and easy way to relieve some of the stress. "Sure thing Grandpa. I'll get back to you just as soon as I finish my errands in the clinic, okay?"

He nodded. "I'll be waiting for you, missy."

"Alright," I replied. "I'll just be a few minutes."

I turned and left him, resolving to make good on my promise.

Entering the clinic, I was met by Dr. Genzai's warm greetings.

"Good morning Kaoru-chan!" Dr. Genzai chimed as he ushered out an old woman. "I haven't been seeing you around lately. Where have you been off to, godchild?"

I smiled at him and bowed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Genzai-sensei. It's just that I've been so busy," I said. "How are you? How are the girls? I miss them."

"They're fine. We're all fine," he replied. "Give me a moment to assist Etsuko-san, here."

I bowed to the aging woman. "How do you do, madam?"

The woman's smile crinkled her face, but pleasantly so. She merely nodded in reply.

Dr. Genzai mouthed the words, "She's deaf," over her head.

Oh. Very well then. I flashed Etsuko-san my thousand-fireworks grin and watched her and Dr. Genzai hobble out of the clinic.

"Tanuki-chan!" Came Megumi's voice. "What brings you here? Is Ken-san with you?"

"No fox-lady, he isn't with me," I replied, pretending to be as pissed about it as ever. After all, it was expected of a tanuki like me. "Kenshin is busy in town. He asked me to get something here."

"Ah yes, the salve," she said, beckoning for me to follow him. "I'm surprised he didn't get it himself. We didn't quite finish our last conversation."

I stifled a smirk because it wouldn't do with the frown I was flashing. "And what would that conversation be? Kenshin didn't tell me about it."

"Ohoho! Of course he wouldn't! It was confidential!" She said, leading me into the back room.

Honestly, this woman lives to tease me! Good thing I'm not as stupid as I let on, or else the fox would have really gotten to me for real long ago. Anyway, she's really quite admirable. Being a doctor in this day and age...not quite falling for the rooster head...I place emphasis on the words not quite.

I deepened my frown for effect. "But...Kenshin tells me everything..." I said pitifully.

Megumi laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Really Tanuki-chan, I was just teasing you. You take everything I say seriously. Besides, you very well know that Kenshin is crazy about you," she said, looking carefully through the shelves of medicine.

Boy, do I know it. The way he does that thing...and that other thing too! Mou! I can stand for that every single...

"And what are you grinning about?" Megumi suddenly asked me with an arch of her eyebrow.

I blushed, for real, reverting back to my Tanuki look lest my impure thoughts register in my eyes. "Nothing. But do you really think Kenshin's crazy about me?" I asked, laying on my "tanuki-ness" thickly.

"I'm sure of it."

I wondered momentarily if this woman was not putting on an act herself, about her feelings. I know she was in love with the rurouni before. It actually made me feel kind of guilty...Why didn't I tell Megumi that I only considered Kenshin as a best friend before, and that she could have him for herself when she told me she had given up in pursuing him?

I chuckled softly. Maybe I really am an idiot. Everybody saw it, why didn't I? Not at once, at least. I had convinced myself that what everyone was seeing was what I was showing them consciously, when what they were really gleaning was something deeper than what I was trying to project. I should have already known it when Yahiko told me about the sexual "tense-up".

I think...I loved him then. Not pretend, but for real. I think I was just too afraid to admit it, or too stupid. Whichever came first.

Oh Kaoru...Kaoru...you're nothing but a silly tanuki girl.

I'm tired of pretending. Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko...they're only the beginning. I should put a stop to all the lies. It's at its end, and I can't let any of it go on anymore. I could at least let Megumi and Dr. Genzai know of my secret identity, and then just let the rest of Edo figure out what exactly had changed in me. The Oniwabanshu has probably found me out already.

"What?" Megumi asked me, feeling that my silence was a bit weighted.

I looked at her thoughtfully. "Kenshin and I...we've worked things out. We've told each other how we feel," I said to her.

She frowned and turned back to the medicine shelves. "Congratulations, Tanuki-chan. Has he asked you to marry him?"

"Not formally, no," I replied, watching for her reaction.

She understood the implications of the word "formally" and she gave a slight sniff. She pulled a jar from the shelf then looked at me with moistened eyes. "I'm...I'm happy for you, I really am. And I knew, always did...that he loves you. Every time I tease him and he flashes me that amused smile of his...he never entertained my half-meant jokes...and his face glowed at every mention of your name..."

Compassion welled up in me. Now I really feel like a jerk. "I'm sorry, Megumi..."

She shook her head and dabbed at her eyes, chuckling. "It's alright. It's no one's fault but mine. I shouldn't have even given myself the slightest bit of hope."

My eyes widened in genuine surprise. "You were hoping all this time? But I thought-!"

Megumi began to laugh again. "Really now, Tanuki-chan. Normally, a silly girl like you wouldn't stand a chance in hell compared to a sophisticated woman like me! Of course I hoped! I'm absolutely alluring!"

Why the narcissistic...scheming bitch! "Hey!" I exclaimed.

Megumi grinned. "But in the end, it was you all along, ne? I'm the one who didn't stand a chance in hell. And that, girlfriend, is life."

Jeez, Kenshin is so popular with the girls. I know why I'm attracted to him, but I always thought myself kind of weird. But then in retrospect, the list goes on and on, doesn't it? Megumi...Matsuhime...Shura the pirate girl...Tomoe...and God knows how many geisha hussies during the Bakumatsu...I suppose he's got that boyish charm, and I certainly know how sexy he could be. Maybe it's the scar, and the thought that he has more of them...mou!

All in all, Matsuhime is right. Kenshin leaves an impression on everyone. He's that kind of person.

"Listen, Megumi. Are you and Dr. Genzai doing anything later?" I asked.

"Well, I have to ask Dr. Genzai, but I'm free," she replied, handing me the jar of healing salve.

Staring at the raccoon marked jar in my hand, I spoke. "Good. I want to invite you for dinner. I have something to tell the both of you."

"Er...should I bring something to add to the entrée?"

Oh right. She doesn't know I can cook. I almost laughed when I said, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Megumi replied hastily. "Nothing. Forget I said that. Dinner time? Seven o'clock?"

"Yes, and I have this new recipe I'm dying for you to try, too. I'm sure you'll like it. I'll be getting it ready this early. Needs to be marinated, you know. So I have to go home straight away." I said evilly. Make her suffer for a while, mulling over what she should do to preserve her stomach, with a marinated dish even. Hehe. She did, after all, hope to snake her way into my Kenshin's feelings. She'll just have to be pleasantly surprised that I could whip up something actually palatable.

"Um...yeah. Looking forward to it," she muttered.

I bit my lip to keep from grinning.

I began to make my way out of the room when something caught my eye. A jar of mushrooms, labeled Naematoloma fasciculare in English characters. Then below it, in Katakana text: Naematoloma fuasikikurare. At the top of the label was a drawing of a skull and crossed bones beneath it.

Halting in my steps, something hit me that very second.

Ikue...she had said the exact same thing. Naematoloma fuasikikurare. She had also mentioned Ribidumo, a crooked umbrella. Lividum! Entoloma lividum! She was talking about mushrooms! Poison mushrooms!

I know these things from the Shikeigai. Why didn't I think about this before? Oh well...not that it really matters. We've caught the killer, ne? Saitoh...

He must have had a pretty extensive knowledge of it as well...

"Megumi...did you do research on that poison on the dart from the other night?" I asked her.

"Well yes," Megumi replied. "The government physician assigned me to do the job for him."

"What kind of poison was it?"

Megumi's brows knotted thoughtfully. "I couldn't be sure. All I can say is it isn't deadly. It just induces a sleep state, but it's mushroom and herb based. Tricky stuff. The guy who made it must have been pretty smart."

"Right," I grumbled. "Thanks. I have to go. I'll see you later?"

"Sure thing, Tanuki-chan. Why don't you talk to Dr. Genzai before you go? Ask him if he could come later."

"Yes, I will. And thanks too," I said, holding up the jar.

She smiled and turned to go to another room.

I made my way out of the clinic, my thoughts troubled.

It's entirely possible that Saitoh would know about poison mushrooms, after all, the son of a bitch had a lot of intellect. He could have very well taught Ikue how to poison her sister in law. But still...

Could it be...that we had made a mistake?

But the letters! The letters...are so obvious...too obvious.

It isn't like Saitoh to be so careless. And yet, those visits he made around Japan, the way he asked Matsuhime about us, about him being in Yokohama when Banshio was killed, Ikue's words...it all points to him, doesn't it? Doesn't it?

Dr. Genzai met me at the door, and even if I was a bit distracted, I asked him if he could come to the house later, because I had something to tell him and Megumi. He agreed to come, and after a few more pleasantries, I stepped out of the clinic.

I was so deep in thought that I almost forgot my Go match with the elderly man who sat just across the street from the clinic. Making a quick turn, I ran right into some guy's chest, shocking me into dropping the jar. I watched it bounce off the man's foot and then consequently roll to the ground. I cursed before mumbling an apology to the person I had bumped into while I bent down to retrieve the abused container.

"Why hello, Kaoru. Remember me?"

I stopped in mid-crouch. I know that voice from somewhere...

Slowly, I looked up.

The blood...drained from my face, my mouth dropping open in shock.

He smiled. A creepy, surreal baring of teeth.

"B-But y-you're..." I stammered. "You're dead!"

He jerked an eyebrow. "Neat huh. And you...you're coming with me."

I gasped as he grabbed my arm.

"Banshio!" I cried, trying to wrench my arm away. His grip was strong. "What-? Let me-!"

"Shut-up," he hissed, grabbing me by my body and clamping a hand over my mouth.

I tried to scream, but it was impossible.

I bit him and tried to kick myself free, but he wouldn't budge. It didn't even matter to him that I was sinking my teeth into his fingers. People were already watching us in our struggle, but I didn't care. I didn't even give a damn if we both spilled awkwardly to the ground. I was being kidnapped by a dead guy, and pardon me, but it gave me a bad feeling, a very bad feeling.

I thought this was over. I thought we had figured everything out. What the fuck is going on?

He's strong. I couldn't get away.

Is he...?

No, he couldn't be...

Oh but he could...

Why? Why would he do such a thing?

He removed his hand from my mouth and I was ready to let out a blood-curdling shriek when I felt the fingers of his other hand press lightly on the base of my spine. I froze in silence. Pressure point. Is he going to kill me right now? Right in the middle of the street?

"You know what I can do to you, ne?" He asked me, whispering in my ear.

I did not respond. My eyes darted around me. No one dared to help, and I noticed that people were scurrying away and looking everywhere but at us. I saw the old man with the Go board. He was staring at Banshio and me curiously, and all I could do was stare back at him, hoping that he would do the screaming for me, but he stayed silent, a confused expression on his face.

"Good," Banshio continued. "Now let's take this to a more private place, shall we?"

I could do nothing. Held the way I was. He isn't even releasing me, knowing that my hands were just as deadly as his.

All he had to give me was an opportunity. And I can wait. As long as I'm alive, I have a chance.

Banshio...I will not let you kill me.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

**THE HITOKIRI**

It's quite possible that Kaoru is still in danger, but nothing is definite. I couldn't be sure. Besides, we had agreed that I would trust her to take care of herself when the necessity arose. I shouldn't panic like this.

Oh but panicked I am. Saitoh's and Daisuke's words rang in my brain like a death knell. I could not ignore it. Someone is still out there who could do Kaoru harm. Her and Kyosuke, not that he matters as much to me as Kaoru does, not by a long shot, but dammit! He should be here, affording my Kaoru some kind of protection, however pathetic his help has been on several occasions.

I shouldn't have left her alone. I should have insisted that she come with me.

Oh calm down, Himura. She'll be fine.

Of course she'll be fine.

Finding out that Fukushima Banshio is still alive and well in spite of the fact that I thought he had been burnt to bits...what, is that supposed to be a good thing?

This is not good, not good at all.

I just knew Banshio couldn't be trusted. I had a feeling that something was amiss that day we thought he was killed. Something was not right with him and I am mortally afraid that we will pay for my negligence. But how was I to know that he would come back from the dead? Who in their right mind would stage their own death, anyway?

Oh but that's the problem, isn't it? He might not be in his right mind. He might be an absolute loon, running around Japan, killing people.

Saitoh admitted he was guilty of the murders. He said he would plead guilty before the tribunal. He said he wanted to go out with a bang.

Did Saitoh somehow manipulate Banshio to finish the job should he fail to finish the rest of the Shikeigai off? Saitoh managed to do it with Ikue, why not another lunatic? Three lunatics in Edo? What is this world coming to?

To top it all off, I'm having doubts about Saitoh's involvement in this case. Maybe he didn't do it after all...maybe...

But Saitoh said he was guilty!

Saitoh said...Saitoh said!

What did he say?

He said he was going to plead guilty. He said he'll go down for the murder of the Shikeigai "brats". He said he hated them and that they were traitors. He said...he'd rather be marked as a murderer of the Shikeigai than declared incompetent by the state...but he didn't say he killed them, did he? He didn't say he did it. He just said he'd declare he was guilty...

Oh my God, what is this? What is going on?

Rushing back to the dojo, my thoughts were in complete disarray.

I need to see Kaoru. I need to know she's safe.

Reaching the dojo in record time, I hurriedly stepped through the gate and I called out that I was home.

No one answered.

Thus began my frantic search.

Moving fast, I went through the entire house, and when I found no one, I went straight to the dojo.

Nothing.

Gathering my bearings, I searched my mind for remnants of our conversation this morning. Errands, she said. Things she had to do. And I had asked her to get the healing salve.

The clinic. I have to go to the clinic.

She could be there, if not then I could check Tae's.

Kaoru will be fine. Nothing bad has happened.

God, please let Kaoru be alright.

No one expects me to shadow Kaoru's every move, least of all her. It would even be fair to say that she will admonish me for being so over-protective.

So, why do I have this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach? Why this urgency to find her? Is this really the instinct I had honed through my years of experience, or am I just over-reacting?

"Is Kaoru here?" Were my first words when I arrived at the clinic.

"Ken-san!" Megumi exclaimed brightly when she saw me. "And how are you today? Have you come to see me?"

"Megumi-dono," I said patiently. "Forgive me, but this is important. Is Kaoru here?"

Her smile dwindled as she raised an eyebrow. "Kaoru was here about fifteen minutes ago. Why, is there something wrong?"

"Did she say where she was going?" I asked.

Megumi was now beginning to frown. "She said she was going straight home from here. She should be in the dojo by now."

She should, but she isn't.

It was quite possible that she had taken a detour and gone to Tae's. I should go to the Akebeko, just to check...just to make sure.

I must calm down. Nothing has happened to her.

Assuring Megumi that everything is fine, I thanked her and gave her a respectful bow before heading out of the clinic.

Just before I made my way to the crowded streets, an object on the ground caught my eye, and my heart gave a thump. With growing dread, I reached down, recognizing it the moment I saw the painted raccoon on the side of it. It was our jar of healing salve.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

She could have dropped it by accident. It means nothing, really. She could have...

"Care for a round, young man?" Came a voice from not very far away.

I looked up and saw an old timer, sitting on a bench with a Go board in front of him. He had no opponent.

Distracted, I rose to full height. "I-I'm sorry, but I cannot right now..."

"Oh, but that jar isn't yours," said the old man with disapproval. "That belongs to the young lady who was going to humor this old man for a game of Go."

I stared at him for a moment.

It will not hurt to ask. I just have to make sure...

"You saw the woman who owns this?" I inquired.

"We were going to play a round," he said nodding, disappointment glazing his aged eyes. "That young lady was going to humor an old man and play Go with me."

He was definitely talking about Kaoru. For some reason, my stomach tightened at the strain in the man's wrinkled face.

"Grandfather, did you see where she was headed?" I asked him as calmly as I could.

"Said she was going to be in the clinic for a few minutes, and then right back out to humor this old man," he said. "But someone stopped her. Took her. Maybe he didn't want her to play Go."

I think I stopped breathing. "Who took her? Did you see his face? Did you-?"

"She called him Banshio," the old timer continued. "It didn't seem like she wanted to go with him."

Banshio. No...oh God.

"Where did they go? Can you point me in the direction they took?" The calm was gone, replaced by a raging fear that quickly sent my battle senses rising to the surface. "Please, it is of utmost importance..."

The old man raised his finger and pointed down one direction of the street. "Right about there. If you see her, can you tell her-"

"I will, grandfather. Thank you," I said hurriedly, taking the path he had directed me to.

I was about to take off in a run, uncertainty still bounding high when I heard a voice calling frantically from behind me.

It was Sano, but I barely stopped to wait for him. All I could think of was Kaoru, in the hands of yet another madman.

"Kenshin! Hey! Wait up!" Sano cried, catching up with me in a state of great flurry.

"Sano, I have no time for this," I told him, pushing through the crowd. "Kaoru's been-"

"News from the Oniwabanshu," he insisted on continuing. "And damn, Kenshin! You'll never believe what they found out..."

He held my arm firmly in his grip.

"Sano!" I yelled, trying to get away. "Let me go!"

Why is he keeping me like this? What could be so important that he is holding me captive?

He shoved a piece of paper in my face. "Read it," he ordered me.

I took the paper, just to get the whole thing over with.

"Sano, Kaoru has been kidnapped by Banshio," I told him with a growl.

"What? But the guy's dead!" He exclaimed.

"Or so we thought," I said, letting my eyes rove over the Oniwabanshu's report. "He took..." And my voice dwindled.

"Why the hell would he kidnap her? Shit, it doesn't matter! We gotta go find her!"

His rants were lost on me as soon as I read the contents of the paper.

When the words sank into my system, everything just suddenly came apart at the seams. All the certainty I've began to foster in the past twenty-four hours has crumbled to nothingness.

And suddenly, nothing made any sense any more.

**THE SPY**

Banshio unceremoniously threw me to the ground and I yelped as I skidded full-bodied on the gravel and soil.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I growled, scrambling to my feet to get away from him. "Why have you brought me here?" I demanded.

Well duh! To kill me, that's what!

Isolated riverbank, with the roar of the water loud enough to drown out a scream...if I do not put up a fight, he'd very cleanly succeed.

He glared at me, pulling out a sword. "By God! You very well deserve to die!"

Shit! Could he get any plainer than that?

My body demanded to be defended, and slowly, I began to take a familiar stance, positioning for the deadly dance that I constantly prayed would never have to be used. My kimono hampered me, but it hardly matters. All I needed were my hands.

"Go ahead," Banshio sneered, walking around me. "Use the Cat's Paw. See if I care. But you're done for. You hear me, Kamiya? It ain't gonna work. I'm ready for you."

"You're ready for nothing," I told him, my eyes following his figure.

"Tell me something Kaoru," Banshio said, drawing a line on the ground with the tip of the sword. "How did it feel?"

What is he talking about? "How does what feel?"

He shrugged. "Oh, to play judge and executioner."

What-? "Quit talking in metaphors, Banshio."

Banshio smirked and tapped his temple with a finger. "You're smart. Really smart. And Saitoh too! That was a stroke of brilliance."

"Stroke of brilliance?" I enunciated, feeling an overwhelming sense of annoyance. "What are you talking about?"

He frowned and advanced towards me.

I retreated, raising my hands. "Don't come near me. I'm warning you..."

"If it was you...why did you do it, Kaoru. Why?" He suddenly demanded from me.

My ire rose, and I could barely believe that I had to explain myself to a maniac. "What? Have Saitoh hauled off to jail? He's a killer Banshio! Or maybe we haven't quite cleared out the trash yet! How much did he pay you to do this? I'd at least like to know how much my life is worth in Sen!"

Rage came over his eyes, "You really are something, Kamiya. You will see this lie to the end, won't you?"

"What lie?" I cried. "Banshio, where is this anger coming from? Did I hurt you in the past? Did Saitoh put you up to this?"

"I've had enough," he growled, bounding towards me.

My eyes narrowed into slits as he raised his sword, and I noticed at once that he did not know how to wield it. The angle of his strike was all wrong, and unless I was further from him, it would be the hilt, not the blade that would strike me.

I tensed, ready to immobilize him with the quick touch of my hand, but he tripped...

No, he didn't trip. I realized that a second later, because as he fell unconscious at my feet, sword clattering to the ground, I saw Kyosuke standing behind him, holding a stave of heavy wood.

At a loss for words, I stared at the scene before me in shock.

Kyosuke was panting, rage glistening from his eyes. "Was he going to kill you?" He growled, staring at Banshio's prone body, his grip still tight on his makeshift weapon.

Finally, I found my powers of speech. "Kyosuke? What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Perhaps deciding that Banshio was incapacitated for sure, he tossed away his club and looked at me, tilting his head a bit to the side. "Was he going to kill you, Kaoru?"

"Hello!" I exclaimed, feeling the usual irritation he so seamlessly brought out in me more often than naught. "What did you think he was going to do?"

Kyosuke cocked a smile at me, picking up the sword. "Good thing I got here on time. It would have been a pity..."

A pity? "Pardon me for thinking so highly of myself Kyosuke, but I'd like to think that my death would have amounted to more than 'a pity.' God! Talk about understatements!" I said with a roll of my eyes.

He stared at me in thoughtful amusement. "Yes...you do think too highly of yourself, Kao-chan."

Ouch. "Whatever, Kyosuke," I muttered. "But the fact of the matter is, I think maybe you saved my life, so thanks. What on earth possessed you to come here? Missed me already? How sweet."

Kyosuke chuckled, lifting the blade to the light as he examined it. "In a manner of speaking...I took the next train to Edo, after yours. All roads lead to Edo..."

I took a moment to process his words. Why is he...? Why is he being so strange? "Where in heck did you get the money to buy yourself a train ticket, Kyosuke? I thought you said you were broke."

"Oh," he said casually. "I blackmailed the local fishmonger. I found out he was doing his neighbor's wife..."

"What?" I asked him. He's blackmailing people now? "Just to come here to Edo?"

"I wasn't always that broke, you know," he quipped, gesturing towards me with the blade of the sword and then letting it rest on his shoulder. "I used to have gobs of money."

Eh?

"Oh, I wasn't filthy rich or anything like that," he went on chattily. "I got my dues from the Ishinshishi. You know, like the rest of us did. The so-called 'payment' for our services. And then there's the guilt mone I received from Yasushige, after I got out. I'm smart. Saved it all for a rainy day. Basically living in a shit-hole pottery work-shed while I made pots to feed my sorry ass, just so I can leave the rest of my money untouched. Good thing the rest of Japan is a sucker for fancy jars because the work turned out to be pretty lucrative, thus adding to my savings and...well, I really don't want to go into the details. I'll bore you."

I fidgeted uneasily. Kyosuke was being really, really weird. "Kyosuke, what are you-?"

"This is just a spectacular production, isn't it? Brilliant, like Banshio said. Everything went according to plan. Just a matter of manipulation...then of course there's that lucky break with Daisuke...the son of a bitch actually decided to be the one to kick Saitoh out. Could you believe it?" He said with a laugh. "I hoped he would. He's been in the DIA for...what? Years! I tell you, I killed two birds with one stone getting Ikue to dispose of Miyori."

I took a step back, my eyes widening in disbelief. Is he...is he kidding?

Kyosuke kept the silly grin on his face as he went on. "But you know, I hadn't counted on Daisuke to actually go ahead and do something like reevaluate Saitoh, that's why I made sure with the death-letters, but heck! With Daisuke raring to discredit Saitoh, it's even better than having him convicted for murder! Could you imagine the dishonor Saitoh would have to face? Now I don't even have to wait for Saitoh's execution to kill you! I can dispose of you right now, thus quite possibly acquitting Saitoh of the murders because of it, and just let him live with the disgrace of being declared incompetent by the very government he was so much against! Sheer fucking poetic justice!"

My mind was in a whirl. I am not hearing this...I am not... "You're...insane..." I whispered.

He winced, sucking his breath through his teeth. "Funny...Yasushige said the same thing when he had me committed to the loony bin."

I swallowed the lump that had lodged itself into my throat. I had to buy some time. Dammit, I need time to figure out what to do! "Why?" I asked him. "Just tell me why, Kyosuke."

He scratched his chin. "Oh, lots of reasons. Because Yasushige's a dickhead, because Taka's a moron, because Miyori's a whore, because Saitoh's a brutal bastard, because Banshio's way too smart for his own good, and because you, oh dearest Kaoru, are the biggest coward in the face of this goddamn, piss-up-my-ass, wonderful country." Then he blinked, reverting his gaze to Banshio's prone body. "Which reminds me...do you have any idea how this brainiac over here figured out my robe-present? Damn! The son of a bitch really is fucking brilliant, isn't he? Staged his own death...making it look like I actually got him with that robe I sent him..."

A bragging psycho.

Good...I think. So he has a sword. I might be able to disarm him. If only I could lure him away from Banshio...

I began to casually inch towards the direction of the wooden club Kyosuke had used earlier. "So...Kyosuke...when did you plan all this? It's pretty elaborate."

He chuckled. "Have you ever been in one of those asylums, Kaoru? They'll put you in a room full of blabbering morons for hours on end, expecting you to amuse yourself while staring at the walls. You know that saying? The idle mind is the devil's playground? Well in there, the devil had a goddamn circus! Well, with me at least. The other inmates were just too stupid to be of any use to him. But that was fortunate, because that ditz Ikue was putty in my hands. I called myself Mibu's Wolf and it just tickled the hell out of her!"

I continued to speak, distracting him from figuring out my intentions. "So did the devil make you do it, Kyosuke?"

He scowled in disgust. "Are you stupid or something? That was just a figure of speech. Goddamn, Kaoru...I swear, you're a fucking moron. A coward and a moron."

Just a little bit more... "Right...a coward and a moron..." I muttered.

"And I say freeze," he told me calmly, placing the tip of the sword on Banshio's back.

Shit!

Standing still, I took a deep breath and spoke. "Kyosuke, now just calm down...please..."

He seemed confused by my words. "But I am calm. I'm in complete control, or will you dispute that?"

I shook my head. "No. You are in complete control. So just...please don't hurt him..."

"Hurt him? My dear Kaoru. I have no intention right now of hurting him. In fact, I'm planning to make this as quick and painless as possible."

To my utter horror, he plunged the blade right into Banshio's body.

Banshio gave a jerk, and then he groaned. Kyosuke pulled out the sword and was about to plunge it right into Banshio's spine when I gave an ear-splitting yell.

"NOOOO!" I cried, diving for the club and throwing it right at Kyosuke's face.

Kyosuke dodged the projectile with his arm, the hard wood connecting with his wrist. He gave an angry growl as the sword slipped from his fingers, piercing the soil just beside Banshio's head.

I jumped and threw myself right into Kyosuke's midsection, struggling to pin him to the ground.

"Bitch! I'll see you dead!" Kyosuke howled in mindless wrath as he clutched at my throat.

Dammit! Everyone is stronger than I am!

Easily, Kyosuke flipped me over and he rolled me beneath him, grunting as he tried to hold me down and apply pressure points at the same time, which was altogether impossible since I was putting up one hell of a fight.

"Hold...still!" Kyosuke growled.

"Why the hell should I do that, huh?" I yelled, pushing myself up and sinking my teeth right on his neck.

He yowled and grabbed me by the head, using his strength to slam me back down to the ground.

I didn't have time to notice the pain, but then he grabbed my wrists and pinned me, staring into my eyes with growing fury.

Dizzy from the blow to my head, I peered at him. "Why...what have I done to you?"

"You sure have a tendency to forget, Kamiya," he said through grit teeth. "It's sad that I have to let you remember!"

He yanked my hand down and I felt him clamping it to his groin.

I gasped, resisting though my efforts were in vain. "Kyosuke! What are you-?"

"Feel anything, Kaoru?" He shrieked in my face, tiny drops of spittle hitting my cheek and eyelid.

Whimpering in disgust, I shook my head.

"Exactly...do you know how it is to be castrated at the age of fourteen? When your hormones are raging and then suddenly it just practically disappears?" He cried, shouting in my ear.

It was almost deafening, but his words spiked its way through my brain like a rain of knives. That first day he came to the dojo...I had kicked him, and he did not even flinch.

Castrated...who would do such a thing to him? Who would be so monstrous...?

"Saitoh..." I whispered, my voice edged with compassion.

"You remember that day, Kaoru?" He asked me, his tone hoarse with bitterness.

No...yes...that dream...

Reading recollection in my eyes, he sneered. "Oh yes you remember it. I asked for your help, or did you refuse to hear? You left me with him and he castrated me! Miyori, that whore! She watched it happen, said I deserved it! Then she married that filthy son of a bitch Daisuke. That was her mistake."

My eyes began to moisten, and I stoutly tried to stop them from flowing. "Kyosuke..." I said. "I tried...but Saitoh...I didn't know he was going to do that to you!"

"You were afraid!"

"Yes I was!" I cried. "I had just been raped by one of his men, Kyosuke! You know that no matter how many times they do that to us, the fear and the pain never wears off! And Saitoh...he'd just then decapitated that same man before my very eyes! His own trooper! How did you think I'd react when he told me to leave or else suffer his punishment? I was afraid!" I shrieked.

"Stupid excuses!"

"I'm sorry! I tried!"

"You will die for it."

He pushed himself off me and I hurried to get to my feet, but I felt him grab a fist full of my hair and ram his knee right into my gut.

It knocked the wind right out of me, and I collapsed to the ground, coughing and rasping for breath while his grasp in my tangled locks did not loosen.

My vision swam as my eyes watered, and I stubbornly ignored the sting of my roots as I feebly tried to pull free, but I could not get away. I couldn't even reach him from where I was. All I could do was gather my breath and attempt to pry his fingers from off my hair, but it was impossible to loosen his grip.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him pluck the sword from the earth.

Okay, think Kaoru. What do you do in a situation like this?

Relatively incapacitated and as close to impending death as I have ever gotten in years.

There were only two things to do in a situation such as this. Scream, and then pray that someone will hear you. So mustering what little breath I had recovered, I took a deep gulp of air and shrieked.

**THE HITOKIRI**

I turned sharply at the piercing cry and frantically followed the sound, leaving Sano behind me. He probably didn't hear it. The roar of the river was too loud, but I heard her, and I knew she needed me.

Pushing through the trees and foliage, I stumbled upon a clearing.

My eyes narrowed as I pushed forward on my feet, faster than I could remember.

Kaoru...if I'm even just a second too late...

I pulled out my sword, the sleek whisper of steel against sheathe in harmony with the movements of my body.

Our swords connected with a potent clangor, throwing him several feet away from her as the sword flew off his hand. I was so fast that I skidded to a stop, my heart thudding with adrenaline.

He fell with a distinct thump, then he groaned as he clumsily tried to get back on his feet.

"You..." I growled, glaring at him from where I stood.

I was still somewhat confused, admittedly so, but my battle aura was strong, and my mixed thoughts will not hamper my focus.

There was another body nearby, bleeding, but I could make out the rise and fall of his breath.

Kyosuke stood up, eyes blazing in passion. "Nice to see you again, Himura."

Kaoru gave a labored rasp and she pushed herself off the ground. "He did it..." she coughed. "He killed them all..."

Not taking my eyes off Kyosuke, I spoke to Kaoru. "Are you alright?"

"As well as you might expect, given the situation," she replied with some effort. "He's gone psycho..."

"Now, I know I couldn't possibly compete with your sword skill, Kenshin," Kyosuke said, grunting slightly from some pain that the strike afforded him. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. "So...I'll be smart."

To my surprise, he whirled and took off in a fast run, swiping at the fallen sword while in flight. He disappeared into the growth, the rustle of leaves and the crackle of twigs at his wake.

I was about to go after him when Kaoru held me firmly by the arm.

"No! It's too dangerous for you to go alone!" She said desperately. "The Shikeigai...we were taught to utilize trees and shadows. You cannot underestimate him."

"I will not let you be the one to fight him," I told her firmly.

"I know," she replied. "That's why we're going in there together."

Sano appeared, clumsily getting through the bushes. "Damn Jou-chan! Are you alright?"

"Stay here with Banshio," Kaoru said to him, already making her way to the direction Kyosuke took. "He needs medical attention."

"God! Did he try to kill you?" Sano asked.

She paused for a moment and then shook her head. "No. I thought he was going to, but now I know he had no such intentions."

She strode off, and I followed close behind her, leaving Sano to figure it out. Explanations would have to come later. Even I did not know exactly what was going on, but I had a pretty good idea.

Cautiously, we made our way into the patch of forest, sticking close to one another as we crept along.

"Kaoru, he's out of his mind," I said in a low voice. "The Oniwabanshu reports that Yasushige had been studying medicine in Aizu when he had Kyosuke committed to Kitakata no Anshouji. It was too farfetched at first, but now...I am assuming he is the 'wolf' Ikue-dono referred to?"

She nodded sullenly. "He's been playing us all along, used us in more ways we had thought, and now he's here to finish me off."

I had not known that my dislike for Kyosuke meant more than my slight jealousies. It did not occur to me then that my ki-senses were trying to tell me something, but regrettably, I had been distracted, by several things. My raging emotions for Kaoru...the way he managed to convince me that my contempt for him was nothing more than my dislike for his perverse and boorish manners...the way he seemed so bent on helping us to solve the case...it was all a deception, cloaking the truth and disguising the obvious. How could I have been so stupid?

He should not have been able to fool me! But he did, and now I had to reap the consequences of my carelessness.

When we reached a small clearing, shadowed by a canopy of towering branches and leaves, I froze. His ki...

Where before it was so insignificant to me, it now carried importance of the greatest magnitude. I remembered all too clearly my assessment of how Kaoru, Kyosuke and Banshio's skills differed when it came to spying.

Kaoru used innocence to gain the enemy's trust, Banshio used intrigue, and Kyosuke used feigned incompetence to earn the enemy's disregard for his presence...

Old habits die hard, particularly for Banshio and Kyosuke. I still do not know what Banshio's part is in all of this, but my assessment of the two men turned out to be more correct than I'd dreamed. Even Kaoru had somehow managed to employ her technique once or twice through out the case. Once when she applied her Delilah whiles on those two guards in Yokohama and a second time with Gen-ichi, as she had related to me on the train from Aizu.

"I have both of you where I want you," came Kyosuke's voice.

Kaoru and I froze in our tracks.

"Can you feel him, Kenshin? Where is he?" She asked me in a frantic whisper.

Kyosuke emerged too quickly for me to tell her, and I shoved her forcefully aside as I raised my sword.

Metal slammed against metal, and his weapon flipped out of his grasp, the blade biting into the trunk of a tree with a dull twang.

"Look out!" Kaoru cried.

His hands! He had baited me into a trap, and I whirled to butt him with the hilt of my sakabatou. I connected, but so did he, albeit awkwardly. I felt his fingers pressing three spots just below my shoulder, and in that instant, I felt my sword arm go limp while my right leg became barely strong enough to support my weight. I stumbled against a tree. No doubt, he had been planning to fully incapacitate me, but my deflection proved well enough to have sustained me.

I could still move, and with a bit more effort, I could surely put up a good fight, but Kyosuke retreated to the trees overhead, where I could not possibly get him.

"Stay here!" Kaoru said to me, sliding the hilt of my sakabatou into my left hand as I struggled. "Protect yourself if he comes down."

"No!" I told her, knowing that very instant that Kyosuke wanted her to follow him, where I could not intervene. "He will not come down. He knows he cannot defeat me, even like this. You are safer down here with me!"

"Yes, Kenshin," she said, pulling the other sword from where it had lodged itself. "But it has to end here, right now."

She then made two slits down the sides of her kimono, freeing her legs of restraint and affording her more agility. "I could not remove the pressure points he applied. It's the kind that wears off, but we can't wait that long. He has to be caught."

"Kaoru!" I told her as sternly as I could. "No," I said, trying to order her into giving in.

"I'm sorry, but I have to," she said, placing a kiss on my cheek before she took off into the trees, nimble as a cat.

I cried after her, and attempted to follow. With one weakened leg, it was difficult, but with my other arm and hand useless, it was futile, and all I could do was lumber clumsily through the bush, listening to the rustle of leaves overhead.

**THE SPY**

I crouched securely on a branch and it drooped slowly under my weight. The branch dipped with a soft creak, then it settled.

Looking from side to side, I clutched the sword firmly in my hand for a ready strike.

There was a snapping of wood to the right of me and I turned at the sound, watching as the leaves rustled to make way for Kyosuke's limber figure.

He smirked at me from where he was, balancing on a bough while he clung to a bushel of leaves for support. I could see a bruise forming on his cheek where Kenshin had caught him, the swell of the injury squeezing the eye above it practically shut. "You're so predictable."

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," I told him, irritation apparent in my voice.

He chuckled. "You think you can beat me up here, but that's the problem with all of you. You all thought of me as an idiot, which I must admit is exactly how I wanted it to be."

I raised my sword and noticed with growing annoyance for myself that it was heavy, definitely not as light as a bokken. I hope I can handle it well in spite of the weight.

He jumped and flipped as I followed the arc of his leap above my head. He tangled his legs on a tree limb above me and made for the back of my head.

I dodged and dug my sword into a trunk, giving me leverage to spring myself up so I can deliver a kick to his head. He evaded my blow with uncanny speed and he caught my foot in his hands, twisting it by the ankle. To avoid a resulting sprain, I pushed off and spun with the direction of his rotation, wrenching my foot away from his grip and planting it firmly on another bough. I kicked and snapped a heavy stalk from a tree, sending it careening in his direction.

He growled as it caught him in the face and he swung up to find new purchase.

Springing on my legs, I made my attack, aiming to paralyze him while I reached for his vital points. He blocked every blow with accurate precision, knowing my intentions perhaps even before I did. He made a lunge for me, and I soared for a bamboo stalk, swerving my body around the pole and making my feet come in contact with his midsection.

Kyosuke fell back at the force of it, but he stayed alert in each step, finding a foothold where I thought he'd lose ground.

Alighting on a perch, I steadied myself and watched him come at me through the leaves. He jumped, grabbed a hanging vine and tried to knock me off my branch. I dodged then leapt for the sword. Acting fast, I chopped at his vine.

I heard him curse as he dropped to a lower limb awkwardly.

"Damn you, you bitch!" He cried, getting to his feet and climbing to another direction.

He disappeared behind a thicket of leaves and everything went silent.

I whirled on my place, searching for him and to anticipate his next move, giving me time to realize that my heart was beating incredibly fast, whether from fearful anticipation or battle rush, I could not tell.

I stayed alert, listening for any sign of his approach.

He came at me from behind, and I only had time to protect myself.

His body slammed into me, making me drop the sword as I toppled from my perch. I reached desperately for the collar of his gi. He was not the least bit pleased by the turn of events as I brought him down with me, and as we fell, he grabbed hold of a tree limb with both of his hands.

We hung there, immobile, at least twenty feet from the ground.

He grunted as my weight put a strain on his neck. "Dammit, why don't you just die!" He said to me.

"I don't go that easily!" I hissed, pulling myself up against him.

We both swung our legs to the find a foothold and hitch ourselves up. Realizing that the first one up would have full advantage over the other, it became a mad dash. I got to the top first and I jumped to get to my sword.

He followed with a growl.

As much as I'd hate to admit it, that growl gave me an intense chill. Saitoh wasn't the only wolf in town at that moment.

The feel of the hilt in my hand only gave me momentary relief and I yanked with a mighty heave, whirling in my place to face him.

My blade halted at his neck, but to my dismay, he had his fingers at the hollow of my throat.

We both froze in place.

A grin formed on his lips. "It comes down to this, Kaoru. Who's more willing to kill?"

I gulped. Not me.

Giving a shrill battle cry, I made a motion to push his hand away and I succeeded partly, but I had felt him apply pressure and instantly, my air passage was significantly altered.

Breathing hurt, but even then, I knew I could not let him get away.

Twisting my blade, I slashed it at his arm, and it actually surprised him. Blood blossomed on his sleeve.

With him thus shocked, I used my weight to push both of us off the tree.

**THE HITOKIRI**

I finally came upon them, just when they were breaking through the trees, hurtling to the ground.

They dropped with a loud thump, and Kyosuke lay unmoving. Knocked out by the fall or killed, I could not tell.

Kaoru was slumped over him, but she moved slightly, trembling in apparent pain.

I called to her, hobbling as fast as I could, using my sheathed sakabatou as a walking stick.

She pushed herself from off Kyosuke, but she stumbled flat on the ground, emitting choking sounds through her parted lips.

"Kaoru!" I said to her urgently, skidding to her side and lifting her partly from off the ground.

She looked up at me, her eyes pleading for help while she clutched desperately at the collar of my gi. She could hardly breathe.

Panic rose inside me as I held her. "Kaoru, show me what to do!"

She shook her head, unable to speak, touching the hollow of her throat. The strangled sound she made heightened my dread. Kyosuke had done something to her and I had no idea how to undo it.

Cat's Paw...

Banshio!

"Kaoru, I'll get help!" I told her, setting her down gently on the ground.

Pushing myself to my feet, I staggered as fast as I could back to the riverbank. There is no time. Kaoru will die and it's because there is nothing I could do to save her.

Oh god, please! Not like this!

I was moving too slow, I could not go any faster!

Something thrashed through the growth, and I practically sobbed in momentary relief upon seeing that it was Sano.

"Sano!" I cried desperately. "Banshio! Is he alive? Where is he?"

"Yeah, he's alive. I left him-"

"Get him, now! Hurry!"

"What-"

"Just go!" I yelled urgently.

He took off knowing that explanations would come later.

I went back to Kaoru, and by the time I got to her, her lips were turning a deathly blue. She was still alive, she was still wheezing as she tried to get more air into her system, but her fight was getting harder and harder to bear. I could see it by the droopy look in her eyes, and the way she had gone limp in my arms.

"Kaoru, hold on..." I whispered to her. "Please. Help is on the way..."

She feebly reached up with her hand, tugging at my face weakly.

It was like she wanted me to kiss her, but I realized in an instant that I could do something to help.

Bending down I placed my mouth over hers and helped her breathe.

I did not know if it was doing any good, I had no idea if I was doing her more harm, but anything was better than watching her die.

It felt like forever waiting for Sano to reappear, and Kaoru's breathing was growing weaker by the second. Her eyes closed.

"No!" I yelled, shaking her slightly. I frantically forced my breath into her, giving her great volumes of air. She was not breathing anymore. Oh gods! She's stopped breathing!

Sano suddenly rambled through the trees, Banshio leaning on him for support. His shirt was soaked with blood, and his face was lined with agony, but he was conscious, and though he could barely stand he seemed to have a firm grasp of his senses.

Banshio fell to Kaoru's side. "What are we looking at here?"

"She's not breathing!" I told Banshio. "Must have been a Cat's Paw..."

"Where was the pressure applied?" Banshio asked me, grabbing Kaoru from me.

I shook my head, trying to set my thoughts straight. "I don't know! Kaoru was holding her throat a while ago, as if to tell me..."

"Gihou Satsujinki," Banshio muttered.

Cutthroat technique...

"Help me turn her over," Banshio said to me. "Sano, get her to lean against you. I need a solid anchor."

Sano fell to his knees and Kaoru was draped over him, her forehead pressed to his shoulder.

Banshio pulled back his hand, then taking a deep breath, he darted his fingers to her nape. Banshio gave a howl as he connected, then he pulled back his hand, cradling it against himself.

But I hardly noticed his pain as Kaoru gave a loud, rasping gasp, as if a rush of air was making its way to her lungs.

"Kaoru!" I cried, pulling her off Sano.

She took agonized gulps of air, coughing, panting, and she clutched at her chest, mouth wide open at each spasm.

Sano and I held her, and I ran my hand on her back over and over to try to give her some measure of comfort.

"Jou-chan!" Sano exclaimed anxiously. He looked up at Banshio. "Is she going to be alright?"

Banshio nodded, his face contorted in discomfort. "Yeah. J-Just give her time to breathe...she'll make it."

"K-Kenshin..." Kaoru whimpered between gasps.

I hushed her, telling her to just relax and take her time.

She nodded wordlessly, but she lifted a finger to point at Kyosuke's sprawled unconscious form.

I nodded and looked at Sano. "Would you...?"

"I'm on it," Sano said, getting up.

"Here," Kaoru rasped, pulling her scarf from her disheveled hair. "Tie him..."

"Especially his hands," Banshio added.

Sano cocked a grin and took Kaoru's scarf, then he proceeded to do his work.

Unable to help myself, I gathered Kaoru in my arms and held her in a fierce embrace, kissing her forehead several times. Too close...it was too close.

I looked up and saw Banshio grinning.

"Thank you," I told him, closing my eyes and burying my nose in Kaoru's hair. "I owe you, Banshio-dono."

Banshio scoffed. "Once a samurai, always a samurai, aren't you Himura? Forget about it. Besides, tomorrow, Kaoru's going to get a splitting headache from my pressure point that'll last at least a couple of days."

Oro...then I shall have to take good care of her. I smiled and tightened my hold on Kaoru.

"Mou!" Kaoru whispered in my ear. "Kenshin, I'll be fine!"

"This unworthy one was so frightened," I murmured.

"And here I thought nothing could scare you," she joked, though there was still a slight catch on her breath.

I chuckled and lifted her face to press my forehead against hers. "My life without you? That terrifies me to no end."

She grinned. "You know what, weird as this may sound, I have to say that it's the most romantic thing a man has ever said to me in my entire life."

I didn't care if Banshio and Sano were there to see us. I kissed her right then. I had come so close to losing her, and the fear could only be soothed by her touch. It was my way of assuring myself that she was really alive, and that our lives thereafter would be continued together.

We were a picture of exhaustion. Banshio especially. Though his wounds have been mended by the local government physician, he still had on his bloodied shirt for lack of something else to wear, not to mention the splint and cast that bound his hand because he sprained the fingers he had used to save Kaoru. The doctor had demanded that he rest. His injuries, though not as bad as we thought at first, warranted sleep-medication, but Banshio had refused, going as far as threatening the good doctor with undeserved harm. I now know for a fact that Banshio would do no such thing as bite the so-called hand that healed him, but I was more inclined to respect Banshio's need to see this case to the end.

Kaoru looked somewhat worn too. Her nape had been terribly bruised by Banshio's ministrations, and the physician had seen it fit to apply medicine to soothe the battered flesh, wrapping the injured area with a bandage to let the salve soak into her skin. Her ribs were a little sprained from the fall. Those injuries had been treated and bandaged as well, but after having to put up with Banshio's bullying, the doctor decided to keep his medical-recommendations to a minimum. He did not seem up to risk being threatened by a woman.

As for me, I was only beginning to regain full use of my right extremities. As Kaoru had said, the pressure points Kyosuke had applied on me were the sort that had to wear off, which meant I was still a bit lopsided.

Sano was the only one among us who was in complete health, but the glazed look in his eyes spoke volumes of his own shock of the entire situation. I suspect it had to do with Kaoru almost dying today. I wondered myself if I would ever get over that.

Seated in the police station with all the rest of us, Kaoru's eyebrows knotted grimly as she stared at nothing in particular.

"He's completely insane," she muttered.

"And when did you figure that out?" Sano asked her with a crooked grin.

Kaoru was in no mood for any sort of amusement, and she promptly ignored Sano. "Banshio, I've been meaning to ask you...how did Kyosuke try to kill you?"

Banshio chuckled, smoke billowing from his mouth as he held a cigarette between his lips. "Ever heard of tunica molesta?" I raised an eyebrow, so did Sano. This tuo-nika moru-esutsu-a...no doubt another one of those Shikeigai brainiac methods.

Kaoru nodded. "Sure. Flaming shirt, with sulfur, lime and highly combustible substances impregnated into the weave. Nero used them to burn Christians alive once upon a time in Rome."

Banshio cocked a grin. "An 'anonymous' donor sent me a robe that evening you first arrived in Yokohama. The little boy he paid to deliver it said it was for charity. The kid didn't see the face of the guy who paid him, so I couldn't really find out who had given me the robe. Now, I usually accept charity of any kind, but that robe reeked of sulfur and lime..."

Kaoru grimaced and looked at me with a disgusted expression on her face. "The robe in Kyosuke's room...remember that, Kenshin? The purple one with the yellow dragons? That's what smelled like rotting eggs and detergent when we walked into his room in Hoteru Kurei. Damn. I should have figured something was suspicious when I saw those books about Rome he had with him."

Banshio shrugged. "I hardly realized it at first, but then the odor was stifling, and it did occur to me later on that someone was trying to kill me. Someone who was smart enough to know how the tunica molesta works, someone who knew I was Shikeigai and someone who knew I liked my cigarettes..."

"And therefore burn yourself to a crisp with a single spark," Kaoru finished for him.

Something clicked in my brain and I gave Banshio a stern look. "Is that why you staged your own death, because you suspected that the killer had to be either Kyosuke or Kaoru?"

Banshio chuckled. "You're really smart, Himura. Yeah. It was either them or Saitoh. Dying by that robe was a difficult business though. If I wanted to convince the killer, I had to go up in flames. So...I grabbed a body from the local undertaker..."

Kaoru and Sano gasped at the same time, mouths dropping open in shock.

"You didn't!" Kaoru cried.

Banshio rolled his eyes around. "His family wouldn't have missed him. Heard he was a good for nothing sod...drank like a fish more times he was at sea."

Only a genius like Banshio would think of such brilliant metaphors while explaining his body-snatching escapades.

"I set up my house, you know, so I wouldn't burn anything else down," He continued. "Got Daisuke to help, you know, to make sure no one would get nosy and examine my so-called remains..."

"Daisuke?" I asked, blinking in surprise. "He was in Yokohama?"

"Well, sure," Banshio replied. "Who do you think was walking around in a blue sword-police uniform?"

"That was Daisuke?" Kaoru responded with astonishment. "Why would Daisuke do something like that?"

Banshio chuckled. "He said that if someone were to be suspected of the death, it might as well be Saitoh. He's really got hate issues with the wolf. He is, after all, convinced that Saitoh had killed his wife. Apart from that...well, Saitoh is indeed an abusive son of a bitch. Probably even worse by Miyori's stories."

"So he was trying to frame Saitoh?" Kaoru asked.

Banshio thought about it and gave a half shrug. "Well, only to that extent. Daisuke wanted to me to pin Saitoh for the Shikeigai deaths, but he basically wanted the evidence to be true. Besides, Kyosuke has already admitted to being behind those letters. So there, that's how things went as far as my death goes, and I've been working for Daisuke ever since."

I shook my head in disbelief. I knew there was something wrong with Banshio's death. It was too...what's the word? Controlled.

I looked at Banshio intently. "Were you the one who stole the journals from Kaoru's room?"

Banshio chuckled. "No. That wasn't me. Did Daisuke tell you I did it?"

"He thought you did," I replied.

"A valid assumption on his part," said Banshio. "I did, however, poison that guy you caught that night your dojo was attacked. Yeah, that was me. You were gonna surrender the warumono to the cops. I didn't want him forewarning Saitoh in case he really was the killer."

"Damn," Sano swore. "Is that guy ever going to wake up?"

"Well, yeah," Banshio replied casually. "It's only supposed to last for a week."

"One last question, Banshio," Kaoru said. "Why did you think it was me?"

I have been meaning to ask that question myself.

Banshio sighed and blushed in the process. "I...well, I didn't. This morning I visited Siatoh in his cell, pretending to be his lawyer's assistant. I don't think Saitoh really believed me, but he answered my questions anyway. After I interviewed him, I knew. I knew he didn't do it, even if he was saying he did, so it was either you or Kyosuke. You could say I was trying to bully you into telling the truth."

Hideaki Ashikaga, from the prison log-book. So it was he.

"Mou! Did it ever occur to you that Daisuke could very well have been a suspect based on your supposition that the killer had to know you were Shikegai and that you liked your cigarettes?"

Banshio smirked. "Well, sorta, but the guy...didn't have the makings of a spy killer. Oh, he's got brains in his head, but apart from his Tales of Genji stuff, he doesn't read much of anything else for leisure. He's kind of a straight arrow. He sticks to what's written and doesn't leave much room for free thought. That, and the fact that he helped me stage my death, gradually convinced me he didn't do any of it."

Kaoru frowned. "Still! You didn't have to be that rough on me during your 'interrogation'!"

Banshio gave Kaoru a lopsided glare. "Hey, I didn't really hurt you all that much, did I? But if I wanted to you admit anything I had to put some muscle into it. Besides," he continued. "You're not the one who got whacked on the head."

"And you're not the one who got a Gihou Satsukiji whammy," Kaoru shot back.

Banshio thought about it for a second then told Kaoru, "Point."

I smiled slightly. Their banter was pleasing, unlike the debates Kaoru had with Kyosuke. Apart from the fact that Banshio used more refined language, relatively, he was not one to give lewd and boorish comments. Definitely more likable, and thankfully more in control of his mental faculties.

"Himura-san," somebody suddenly said.

We all looked up at a Police Officer whom I recognized to be Uchino.

"The Detainee would like to speak to you," he continued.

This surprised me. "Oro! Which one?"

Uchino suddenly looked flustered by my question. "Er...that would be Tenshio-san. He said he will make no confessions until he's spoken to you."

Kyosuke? Why?

I stood up, shooting Kaoru a puzzled stare. She shrugged and gestured for me to go on ahead.

There was only one way to find out, and quietly, I followed Officer Uchino to where I could get the answers.

I was led to what I believed to be an interrogation room found somewhere at the back of the building. The place was solitary and confining, giving the impression of isolation, even more so than the prison cells.

As they closed me in with Kyosuke, I saw him seated at the corner on the floor, his arms and wrists shackled around his body so that he would be unable to use them. I imagine that Kaoru's instructions to the police that his hands were deadly prompted the way he had been bound. Strands of his hair fell haphazardly to his swollen face, and his eyes were lowered, like he was asleep.

"Kyosuke-san," I said to let him know I was there in case he hadn't realized it.

"Did I get them?" Kyosuke asked, not looking up. "Did I kill them?"

He's asking me about Kaoru and Banshio. I debated whether I should tell him the truth, and decided a second later that I would. I was in no mood to be merciful.

"No, you didn't," I replied.

He swore profusely, banging his head on the wall several times before he started howling out more curses, about how all his planning had gone to waste.

I frowned, anger rising in me. "You got the others, and Saitoh will fall under the hand of the DIA if not by the hand of the judiciary. Isn't that enough?"

He met my furious gaze with his own. "Enough? No, it's not enough!" He growled. "I was supposed to get rid of all of them! Every single one of them who conspired to make my life a living hell!"

"There was no such conspiracy, Kyosuke-san," I said to him emphatically. "Whatever happened to you was not their fault! And perhaps neither was it yours."

"Everything was going according to plan..." Kyosuke whispered. "Everything was perfect...if not for that damn braniac Banshio..."

It occurred to me that indeed Banshio was the reason the completion of his revenge was foiled. If Banshio hadn't lived, Kaoru would be dead as well...

"Tell me how it was supposed to go, Kyosuke-san," I said in a controlled voice, knowing full well that the police were listening in. I might as well make myself useful.

Tears began to stream down Kyosuke's face, but it was brought more from rage than regret, that much I can tell. "It was so perfect...back in Anshouji. I had it all worked out. I had Ikue do away with Miyori first...that whore."

I stayed silent, watching him in his misery.

Kyosuke grinned. "I loved that bitch."

Ikue or Miyori?

"And then she goes on and marries that Shinsen-gumi bastard," he continued. "Well, why wouldn't she? I literally didn't have the balls to be her man, ey? Women!" After which he spat in the corner.

My lip twitched in distaste, but I said nothing to interrupt him.

"It was her fault anyway that Saitoh knifed me. I realized that when I was in Anshouji. I realized a lot of things in that place. Maybe I ought to thank Yasushige for declaring me insane and putting me in that place. It opened my eyes. I saw how Daisuke could come in handy. That damn nerd works for the DIA, for God's sake! I sure as hell know Miyori had told him a lot of things about the Shikeigai and Saitoh. Daisuke just might bring up some sort of case against the wolf if I convinced him that the wolf had killed his wife. Of course, that was a long-shot, but heck, it was damn worth a try. Had to make sure I would put away Saitoh, though. An execution for murder sounded really good...so I convinced the monks and docs that I was well enough to be released. That was easy enough. I ain't really crazy, you know."

Again, my lip twitched.

Kyosuke continued. "I was the one who broke into Saitoh's office to get the imprint of his very personal seal. Yeah Himura, I lied to you about that one, but lying is easy. The Shikeigai taught me that. I had these letters ordering Gen-ichi and his gang to kill off everyone, including me, and I stamped Saitoh's seal on it. Brilliant, ne? I sent the letters one by one, paying off the mob without them knowing who I was. 'Course, before I sent those orders to kill Kaoru and me, I had to make sure you were on my side. You make a great bodyguard, Himura. The risk of getting killed by my own orders was pretty high, but I knew you'd look out for me, and the thing is...I ain't bad defending myself against them. I had to bait them with the journals, though. It was bait for you too. They'd go after me for the journals first, you'd save me and I'd have to tell you the truth about them. Then when we go looking for the journals ourselves, we'd find the letters, have Saitoh arrested, and he'd be convicted! The best part of it is, Saitoh's own investigations were making him more of a candidate for murder! And then there's that darling Matsuhime who couldn't keep her mouth shut about the other Shikeigai because she thought Saitoh to be a 'man of principle.' I was so excited when she told us she had revealed all of it to Saitoh!"

Ah. Thus the jump in his ki when Matsuhime told us about her revelations to Saitoh.

"I didn't know he'd bite with those insinuative notes I kept sending him, though."

"What insinuative notes, Kyosuke?" I asked.

Kyosuke cocked a smile. "Ask him. It's the reason he's been going around Japan."

I decided I would, when things have somewhat settled down. "Why do you hate the Shikeigai?" I asked him. "What was so terrible about them that you couldn't allow them to live?"

A chuckle rose from his throat. "Why? Let's see...Miyori betrayed me, getting me castrated in the process, Saitoh cut off my balls, Yasushige threw me into that hell with all the rest of the loonies after pretending to be my friend, Kaoru abandoned me when I needed her most, Taka...well, he was practice, basically. I had to know if Gen-ichi's gang could do him. I figured if I was going to get rid of my other Shikeigai friends, I might as well kill all of 'em off. You know, to make Saitoh look really bad? But in a way, I was pretty angry with Taka too. His family survived the Aizu fires. Mine didn't. But...I gotta admit. That's just an excuse. Yasushige said that the loss of my family was what triggered my so-called insanity. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't...they were all I had after all..."

Triggered would be the right word. I don't know much about derangement, but Kyosuke...he had to be insane from the very beginning. The events of his life only...worsened it.

"And Banshio?" I asked.

Kyosuke laughed. "Too smart. Had to get rid of him. You see, I was right wanting him dead. He spoiled everything..."

The precision of his planning chilled me.

I asked him if he was the one who delivered the journals to Daisuke.

"Who else?" Kyosuke snapped. "I could tell you had doubts about delivering the journals to him yourself. I couldn't risk it. I had to make sure that Saitoh would go down one way or another. No matter how smoothly things were going, there was still a possibility that Saitoh would get acquitted of the murders simply because he didn't do it. Besides, I preferred that Saitoh suffered by humiliation rather than by execution. It would be more painful for him that way. The beauty of it is...even with an acquittal, I doubt if Daisuke would believe Saitoh didn't kill Miyori."

"You're sick," I said.

"So I've been told," Kyosuke replied. "This isn't over, Himura. I'm coming for your precious Kaoru. They ain't gonna execute me. I'm insane! They'll just lock me up in another one of those asylums and one day, they'll let me go, thinking I'm cured. I'd have a brand new plan then."

As much as I was loathed in admitting it, his words rattled me. Kyosuke was right. He could always come back and finish his work. I cannot let that happen. I will have to make sure he stays in that asylum, wherever that is.

The door to the room opened and I took it to mean that the police had everything they needed.

Stepping out the room, I did not even give Kyosuke the courtesy of a proper good bye. I had no more words for him.

I remembered a conversation I had with him some time ago.

"Some closure. Just something that would tell me, once and for all, that I could leave my past behind me. Don't you feel that way, Himura?" he had said. Snippets of that same conversation began racing through my mind.

"And in the dreams I'd cry for help and no one comes, not for anything. It sucks when that happens in real life, don't it?"

Yes Kyosuke, it does.

"Makes you realize that we truly are alone surviving in this world...If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself..."

And so he has.

"You're kinda lucky to have a family, you know..."

I am. I am lucky to have family. I am blessed.

It is sad, that people like Kyosuke should suffer a hard life without one. Perhaps we're all a bit insane, but a lot of us do not have to bear it alone. Those who do are twice as strong as the rest of us. Those who lack the strength are pushed to the edge.

I do have some measure of pity for Kyosuke, but admittedly, only a little.


	14. Epilouge

****Alright guys, thank you for letting me share** Adamant Eve aka anna-neko**'s story with you! This is the end, and I hope you have found as much joy in reading this that I did.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

**THE HITOKIRI**

It's been three months since the entire case with the Shikeigai. Three strange months of peace. I'm still somewhat expecting that something would come up to disturb it, but so far, there was no sign of anything amiss.

Kaoru has agreed to my proposal of marriage, which brought much felicity to our otherwise shaken household. I would have asked her sooner, but it...didn't seem right with all the turmoil that ran so high even after the resolution of the case. But I couldn't really wait that long, so I've finally decided to pop the question, and she accepted happily and wholeheartedly. The engagement was a wonderful affair, with lots of congratulations and lots of food. Naturally, Kaoru and I made love with reckless abandon when we were left to ourselves. She could summon raging desire within me with a single look of her sapphire eyes, which stands to reason why she never slept alone in her room again since we got back from Aizu. She never slept in her room again, period. I doubt that arrangement will ever change.

I will make certain of it.

We would be married in a fortnight, and I had been making serious plans about the future.

A job would be necessary. Kaoru and I are going to have a lot of children, and I fully intend to make my family's life comfortable. Saitoh has expressed an intention to recommend me as a consultant to the police investigation department, but I don't think I'll be taking his offer. I think I'd much rather take the building keeper, a.k.a. janitor job in the Municipal hall, but then I'll be having a family to consider, and I doubt if Kaoru and I can manage with a janitor job and ten kids (yes, ten. Kaoru and I are still arguing about it.) I suspect Saitoh's more interested in Kaoru's spy skills and spy brain than he is interested in my mine, and since they couldn't very well hire Kaoru, they'd hire her fiancée, or husband, depending on when they were planning to convince me.

Saitoh...that was perhaps the strangest thing of all.

The day after Kyosuke was caught, Daisuke came to the dojo bearing Saitoh's journals.

"I will not be long," Daisuke had said to Kaoru and I. "Only, I've come to tell you that I will not be recommending Saitoh's dismissal from his position."

Though we were relieved, we asked him why, even if the reasons may have been obvious. However, in an interesting twist, Daisuke was dropping the case for reasons we did not expect.

"Perhaps I still ought to have him dishonorably discharged," Daisuke began by way of explanation. "He did, after all, manage to abuse Miyori through the course of her Shikeigai career. But...just turn to the last volume, 5th of May, 1874."

He didn't say much. Just that, and he left the journals behind after he said his good byes.

Saitoh's entry for the 5th of May was short, but terribly disturbing.

"May 5, 1874. I have been stationed with a bunch of undisciplined, incompetent men who would sooner think with their dicks than with their brains. The Shinsengumi had purpose, but these band of bandits I had the misfortune of being stationed with do not have half of the honor, nor the conviction to be led by one such as myself. This evening alone, I had to deal with two morons who were raping the girl-folk. The first one I caught in the bushes was one I particularly disliked. I lapped off his head. He didn't even see it coming because he was too busy with Naoko. Good riddance. The second guy was a boy of 14. I think his name is Haruna. So young yet so undisciplined. He was having his way with Junko. I have no patience for rapists of any kind, but as a kid, there's still hope for him, so I just castrated him. I'm sure he learned his lessons well tonight. I had the two girls sent home. I don't need them distracting the other men. Why do they send me the comely ones? A toothless hag would be just as useful without getting the attention of the men and making me waste my time getting rid of the deviants. I feel I'm getting too old for this shit. ~~Disgruntled and tired as hell, Saitoh Hajime, San-Ban-Tai Kumichou, Fukuchou Jokin."

I hated how that entry made me feel I ought to thank Saitoh for doing away with Kaoru's aggressor, but it did make me understand how it had convinced Daisuke to drop his personal vendetta. Goodness knows, I was ready to kill Gen-ichi when I thought he...

I don't like to think about it.

After reading that passage, Kaoru and I decided that we did not wish to go through the rest of the journals. We would take it to Saitoh, who was still confined in jail but was due to be released the next day, when the tribunal officially dismissed his case for new evidence arising out of Kyosuke's arrest.

When we visited Saitoh in his jail cell, the wolf was as sarcastic as ever, but he had decided to change his plea. Our conversation showed the means for closure.

"We'd like you to have these back," Kaoru said, handing the journals over to him somewhat cautiously. She was still nervous around him. A tendency which perhaps will never leave her.

Saitoh flipped through the volumes and raised an eyebrow. "Daisuke gave them to you?"

"Does that surprise you?" I asked him.

Saitoh set the diaries aside and leaned back on his bench, puffing out smoke. "Not really. He came in this morning to tell me that he would be recommending my continuance in office. He said it was his way of thanking me for punishing the man who raped his wife, and that dropping the case meant he owed me nothing. I had no desire to save his wife's virtue, neither do I give value to yours, Tanuki, when I decapitated that guy, but if it was good enough for Daisuke and Battousai, then it's certainly good enough for me."

I cringed, so did Kaoru

. "Are you still pleading guilty for the murders?" Kaoru asked after she had composed herself.

The wolf cocked a smile. "Why should I? I didn't do it."

"You seemed willing enough to claim you did, as I recall," I pointed out.

"Well, that was before Daisuke, the nerd, decided to leave me alone, Battousai," he replied, as if he were explaining to some six year old. "I meant what I said about choosing the lesser of two evils. It's either I go down for murder, or for incompetence. I chose murder, but that's changed, because incompetence had most convincingly decided to bow out of the picture."

Kaoru scoffed. "Hmph. Could've fooled me. "

"Watch it, brat," Saitoh said to her sternly.

Kaoru fidgeted, but otherwise stayed in her place stoutly.

"So what's your part in all this, Saitoh?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Saitoh looked extremely irritated by my question. "What do you mean, 'what's your part in this?' I've been framed for the murders, Battousai. Couldn't get in any deeper than that."

I forestalled my own feelings of annoyance and I shot Saitoh a glare. "Were you actually trying to find the killer?"

"Well, what did you think I was doing? Sightseeing?" Saitoh asked.

"Fujita-san," Kaoru began, pitying me. "We would like to know the details of your investigation, if you would be so kind."

The edge Kaoru put into "if you would be so kind" was sarcasm at its finest, but then, when had something like that ever bothered Saitoh, master of derision?

"Fine," Saitoh said, throwing his lit cigarette on the floor and grinding it with his toe. He then proceeded to light a fresh stick. "You want the details? I'll give you the details. First was the office break in. Couldn't have known it was a break in if not for some misplaced papers. Nothing was taken, but I guess now I know somebody just happened to like using my personal seal for his own letters. I didn't think much of it, really. If it isn't broken then don't fix it. That's what I always say."

Kaoru cocked her head impudently. "Ah, words of the wise..."

Saitoh turned his golden eyes to look at her. "Another crack from you and I'll turn you on my knee and spank you."

"Point," Kaoru said, pursing her lips right after.

I stifled a grin. She was actually affecting Saitoh. Something I had never succeeded in doing, ever.

Saitoh continued. "Then someone broke into my home...stole my journals. I wouldn't have thought of it much, but I was more pissed at the fact that someone had managed to come into my house unnoticed. I don't know how it happened, but it did. Whoever it was, he had to be brilliant. Then I got wind of a probe they were doing on me. Doesn't take a Shikeigai genius to figure out that there was something going on. I suspected the DIA would steal my journals to use it to kick me out, so I started my own investigation. Found out some stuff about Daisuke, about his affiliation with the Shinsengumi...call me an ego-maniac, but the Shinsengumi followers worshipped the ground I walked on. Didn't fit that Daisuke wanted me kicked out, because he DID want to kick me out. I discovered that he had REQUESTED for the probe on me, and that he wanted to be the one to head the investigation. So, I figured I must have done something to the guy to make him hate me so much. I dug up his dirt and found out that he had a wife who had died not too long ago, and the rumor was that his half-sister was responsible for her death. Being the brilliant detective that I am..." He stopped to look at Kaoru, just waiting for her to say something sardonic.

Kaoru raised her palms up and feigned innocence. "I ain't said nothing," she quipped.

Saitoh went on. "I checked up on his sister secretly, and found out that she was telling everybody that the 'Mibu's wolf' had made her do it. Conclusion, someone was trying to frame me that early on. But why Daisuke's wife? Why Miyori? I came up with nothing. The crazy-woman couldn't tell me anything. She wouldn't even describe who her Mibu's Wolf was. I had nothing. Then that murder in Aizu happened. Some man named Ooka Taka. I didn't think much about it either. It was just a standard newsreel from the police department in Aizu. It came with a batch of other reports from the different police departments. Standard stuff. Held no such significance to me. The guy was a bum, as far as I could tell, but then I got this note..."

"Note?" I interjected. Remnants of my conversation with Kyosuke cropping into my mind.

"Yes Battousai, a note. You know, those little pieces of paper with words scribbled on them?"

I grit my teeth. "I know what a note is, Saitoh. Please continue."

With a satisfied smirk, he did. "The note said something like 'I know what you're doing, Mibu's Wolf. You won't get away with it. Signed, Concerned Citizen.' So, filing for an investigation order under the break-in incident, I got the police department to finance my inquisition. I went to Aizu, asked around about the murders, and just heard stuff I already knew about, as I expected. I got another note, not long after, from Mr. Concerned Citizen again, if the handwriting was any indication. This note said that I wasn't going to get away with killing off the Shikeigai. That Anenokoji Yasushige would be avenged. Imagine my surprise when Anenokoji turned up dead a few days after. Until then, I had dismissed the existence of the Shikeigai to rumors and paranoia, but with all that's been happening, I couldn't afford to take things for granted. So I looked for the one person who might be able to shed some light into the matter, Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime."

"Oro! You knew about Matsuhime-dono's adoption?" I asked in astonishment.

Saitoh's eye twitched ever so slightly, his tolerance walking a very thin line. "Please, Battousai. I keep tabs on the person responsible for the fall of my side of the war. Frankly, I hold no admiration for Katsura Kogoro, but then, when a man like myself hates a person, it's like information about that person crawls out of the woodwork. Do you understand what I'm saying? I couldn't get away from news like that, almost as if it insists on following me around. I knew everything there was to know about Katsura Kogoro, through no desire of my own. I knew he had adopted a daughter and a son, and I knew she had moved to Shiroishi with her adoptive brother. So I went there, asked her some questions, confirmed the existence of the Shikeigai and found out who the remaining Shikeigai were. It annoyed me to no end finding out that our friendly neighborhood Kamiya Kasshin shihondai was the Shikeigai sekkou Naoko." He turned to Kaoru and blew out some smoke. "I wanted nothing more than to go straight to your dojo and give you the whipping you deserve."

Kaoru merely glared at him.

"But," Saitoh said pointedly. "Before I could do that, I had to pass by Aizu again on my way back to Edo. I had to go looking for Tenshio Kyosuke in Yanaizu and see if I could get somewhere asking him some questions. It turns out that Kyosuke was on the run for some debts he had with the Aizu mob boss. I did ask the mob boss some questions, but you know how they are...good at keeping secrets. I wanted to kill the deviant myself, but I didn't need something like that to make my situation worse. I see now that I should have done it anyway."

"You never passed by Yokohama?" I asked him.

"Never," Saitoh said. "I thought I would, but I'd heard that the Shikeigai connection there had been killed."

"Then where did you go that time you told us you were going on a trip?" I asked him.

He scratched his chin casually, taking his time in answering me. "I don't see how that's any of your business, but if you must know, Tsutomi wanted to go see Omiya."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Tsutomi?"

"My four year old son."

Kaoru and I stared at him open-mouthed.

"You have a son? Other than Mishima Eiji?" Kaoru asked him, flabbergast.

Saitoh was looking more annoyed than ever. "Mishima Eiji isn't my son. He is my ward. Tokio and I are taking care of him. I have sons..."

"Sons?" Kaoru exclaimed.

"You are irritating me, Racoon. I can have sons. Is that so hard to believe?" Saitoh asked. "Well, Tsuyoshi isn't born yet. Tokio's just pregnant with him, but I could tell by the ki that it's going to be a boy, so his name will be Tsuyoshi."

"Eew! Tokio actually does it with you?" Kaoru cried, sincerely disgusted.

Oro!

"Don't push it, Naoko," Saitoh told her darkly. "And before you go off on me again, I did not use government funds for that trip. I should have, though. That same government was ready and raring to kick me out. Anything else?"

"God forbid," Kaoru muttered.

"Terrific," Saitoh said in a dry tone. "That's just about it. I came back here to Edo, threatened you...my usual fare. It got me nowhere, but I was quite stumped. That Kyosuke guy, he fooled everybody."

I nodded. "Yes he did, Saitoh."

"Who'd have thought, eh?" Saitoh said with a shrug. "Now if you're done, could you please just go? I've got a big day tomorrow."

Kaoru and I took our cue. Making our way out of the cell, we left Satoh to his solitude...and his journals.

And that was our conversation with Saitoh. The following day his case was dismissed and he was reinstated to his post.

Kyosuke was soon arraigned, and having pleaded guilty, not to mention his apparent insanity, everyone expected that he would be merely sentenced to life imprisonment. Unfortunately, the tribunal thought him too insane and too brilliant for comfort. They sentenced him to death, by decapitation.

Though it was a rather tragic end, I had to admit that it was somewhat of a relief, because I no longer had to worry about him harming Kaoru or anyone else. Kaoru even said that he had it coming, since he could be such a d%*k-wad. However, amidst Kaoru's scorn, she was unable to hide her deep sadness.

She was a woman of compassion after all, and only I saw the tears she shed for Kyosuke on the day of his execution. Knowing I was the only one who would understand, she waited until we could be alone so she could cry on my shoulder, seeking the comfort I gave to her.

Banshio did not go back to Yokohama. He was, after all, supposed to be dead. So, after everything was settled, he packed what little belongings he had and made his way to Kyoto, where he said he might find a job suited to his skills. Unless he was planning to join the Oniwabanshu, Banshio would most probably just get bored with his job and move on, like he did with his last eight jobs in Yokohama.

Kaoru had finally gotten around to telling Megumi and Dr. Genzai about her Shikeigai identity, after having failed in her attempts at least three times. As expected, they were extremely shocked and very hurt. It was rather discomfiting for everyone to actually see Dr. Genzai angry. And Megumi...oro! We've seen her furious, but the silent treatment was perhaps the most unsettling behavior from her any of us had ever witnessed. It took a while, but forgiveness came sooner than Kaoru expected. Being the good souls that they were, they accepted Kaoru for who she was, though Megumi was still excessively miffed that her taunts and teases before had barely affected Kaoru in the past. To Kaoru's credit, she maintained a sort of "remnant" of her Tanuki personality, for both doctors' sakes. I love her all the more for her thoughtfulness and consideration.

It was hard to believe that we could all just go on with our lives from where we left off at the beginning of all the fuss, but that was exactly what we were doing right now. Not exactly trying to forget, but learning to make it part of our past, so that it may serve us well in the future.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I barely noticed Kaoru sitting beside me on the porch. Only when she took my hand did I snap out of my musings.

"Mou! Think any harder and your head will explode," Kaoru said with an amused grin.

I smiled back at her, squeezing her hand. "Did you enjoy your bath, love?"

"Heaven," she replied with a contented sigh, pushing her damp hair from off her shoulder. "It was exactly what I needed for my tired joints."

"You are working far too hard, Kaoru," I told her seriously. "You should have taken my advice to forego teaching today."

A blush crept up her cheeks.

Ah. I wonder if she would tell me already.

"But I can't disappoint my students," she muttered.

Her "students" consisted of Yahiko, two little boys from some families nearby, and one little girl, who was accompanying her twin brother (one of the two little boys) to his Kenjutsu lesson. Needless to say, the little girl's lessons have not been paid for, but when has that ever deterred Kaoru from teaching anyway?

"They would not have minded," I said. "You've been feeling out of sorts lately. You should have taken a break."

Kaoru frowned. "I'm fine, Kenshin. Besides, Yahiko's obsessed about earning his spar with you. I still don't think he's ready, but he isn't letting up. That little decree of yours just might be the death of me."

She will be stubborn about this, but I can be just as bull-headed.

"Have you gone to Megumi yet?" I asked her innocently. "You promised me you would last week."

"N-No...not yet..." she replied, her eyes refusing to meet mine.

I held back a chuckle. It's quite puzzling why she wouldn't tell me her little secret. It's not like I would get angry or anything like that. I am, in fact, elated, thrilled by the prospect. She should know I'd consider such a thing as good news.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" That ought to help her along.

She fidgeted on her seat. "Umm...n-nothing..."

"Kaoooruu...?" I murmured slowly, as if in mild warning. This is getting more delightful by the second, watching her blushing and fretting uneasily. It was terribly endearing to see her so discomfited when she was supposed to be some sort of fearless femme fatale.

In a totally unexpected turn of events, she burst into tears.

My astonishment was real and I immediately took her in an embrace. "Kaoru! Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong! I promise you we'll fix it!"

Dread suddenly struck me at the thought that maybe she was reluctant to tell me because she herself did not like what was happening. Maybe...maybe she doesn't want it...

"Oooh...shhhit!" She moaned miserably. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to cry. It's just that I'm in this ridiculous state of hormonal imbalance...it goes on and off like a damn water pump...I couldn't stop it at times. It's been so weird! Sometimes, I'm washing the dishes and it just comes out, you know? It's so damn irritating! The other day, Dr. Gensai was telling Suzume the Little Match Girl story and I bawled like a baby! Could you believe it? I cried over a damn children's tale! How pathetic is that?"

I rocked her soothingly, my worry increasing.

"Dammit" She whispered. "What if I'm not ready for this...I just know I'll screw it up! What'll I say when it starts asking questions? How am I ever going to explain what I had to go through in the Bakumatsu when I couldn't even tell Yahiko the whole truth...?"

It dawned on me what she was stressing about and I could have laughed out loud if she wasn't so upset. "Oh Kaoru! You'll make an excellent mother! Don't worry about what they would think of you!"

Kaoru looked up at me, confused. "W-What?"

I smiled and wiped the tears from her face. "Children are angels that way. Their love for their mother is always unconditional..."

The flush on her cheeks became tense splotches and she pulled away from me slightly. Realization was quick to come over her features.

"You!" She cried. "You've known all this time?"

"Kaoru," I said calmly, pulling her closer in my embrace. "Of course I know. You cannot keep secrets like that from this unworthy one. Your ki cannot hide the truth. Now, one will definitely be named Kenji..."

"Mou!" She cried, wriggling feebly to pull away from me. Of course, I wasn't about to let go. "How could you not tell me you knew? Since when-?"

"Oh...I wasn't sure that night we..."

"Mouuuuu! From the very beginning?" She exclaimed. "How dare you not tell me I was pregnant! I can't believe you made me go through it alone!"

"Oh sweetheart! Oh Kaoru, was that how you felt? That you were alone? Of course you're not alone! I just wanted you to be the one to tell me! I thought you'd want it to be that way! I'm so sorry..." I kissed her forehead and began to chuckle. "I thought maybe you would have liked to surprise me, that's all. Had I known you had all these concerns...but you do want the babies, ne?"

"Idiot! Of course I want to have the babies-" She halted in her speech, then a few seconds later, a brand new scowl was forming in her face. "Mouuuuuuuu! Babies? As in more than one? When were you planning on letting me in on this?"

"Well...the usual way. When you gave birth to them..."

"Aaaargh!" She yelled, beginning to mutter mild curses and finishing it with, "Rurouni, I'll get you for this one day...Kenji indeed! And I suppose you know what the other one will be..."

"I was thinking along the lines of Kazuhiko...but Rintaro sounds just as nice..." I replied with dreamy thoughtfulness.

She groaned. "Two boys...we're going to have our hands full..."

"You've had tons of practice so I'm sure we'll do fine," I said.

It got her to chuckle, her tears reduced to sniffles. "See? Now I've stopped crying. It's just a damn see-saw. Crying one minute and laughing the next..."

I smiled and hushed her. "Now about that other name..."

"Shinta," she put in decidedly. "We'll name him Shinta."

Warmth spread over me. I had not thought of that, but hearing her say it...it meant a lot. "Sounds good, Kaoru."

"It does, doesn't it?" She replied, finally settling comfortably in my arms. "It's perfect."

Life does indeed go on, and sometimes in the most delightful way.

The past is behind us. That can never be changed, but the future is yet to be shaped, and that makes a world of difference. It wouldn't do to live in fear anymore. Kaoru and I, we fought for this peace with our own blood and tears, and we must honor our own efforts by accepting the hope it offers us.

"We will be happy together, ne Kaoru?" I asked her tenderly.

**THE SPY**

I gave Kenshin a brilliant smile as I looked at him. He needn't even ask, but I liked talking about it this way. I couldn't express enough how much I love him and the way he makes me realize that I didn't have to be afraid anymore.

After all these years, fighting nightmares, trying to beat down the past...

I remembered thinking, "...maybe, in the future, we can see what's ahead of us unhampered by the spirits that torment us, and dream something more than just the need to survive..."

The future is still uncertain, but the haze of torment has ceased to blur our visions. We now watch with eyes of hope, and our dreams have gone beyond mere subsistence.

I replied to his gentle query, and there was no longer any doubt. "Yes, Kenshin. I believe we will be."

**THE END**


End file.
